Duel With The Devil
by analogarhythmagic
Summary: Set days after "Objects in Space," while Inara prepares to depart at New Melbourne, Mal takes a job ferrying passengers to Persephone. But when Serenity is commandeered for a secret emergency mission to Harvest, the crew and their new passengers must face the Alliance, a mysterious disease, the Hands of Blue, and the dark secrets of some of those on board. AU w/ OC, 1st in series
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__ This is a derivative work of fiction solely intended for private use and entertainment. The author does not profit or benefit materially in any way from its publishing and distribution and, as such, believes the work constitutes fair use under the Fair Use doctrine of U.S. copyright law. All copyrights in the original work are retained by the original authors/owners._

**A/N: This story is the first of several meant to be a re-imagining of the movie,**_** Serenity**_**. Over the course of this series, most of the same issues resolved in the movie will be dealt with, but through alternate sets of circumstances. This story begins just days after the end of the final TV episode, "Objects in Space." From there, everything canonical about the Firefly/Serenity Verse does not exist in the context of this and future stories in this series, though I will make references to and use tidbits from things post-series. There are a couple of new characters to get to know, and some familiar faces will be fleshed out in new ways. Originally completed/posted between September 2010 and 2011, I am now in the process of editing it and making subtle changes to scenes and details to improve continuity within the plot, but feel free to enjoy it as it is. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review or subscribe to an alert. If you like it, be on the lookout for the next installment to begin soon!**

* * *

Jordan Selkirk, Lieutenant Commander of the I.A.V. _Brigham Conover_, waited by one of the airlocks in the secondary docking bay. Beneath her feet, the deck shuddered faintly as the vessel on the other side made contact. She straightened her uniform while she waited for the new arrivals to finish their docking procedures. Normally the task of escorting civilians aboard would fall to some junior officer, not one of the command staff. However, these were not ordinary civilians. She never learned exactly who they were, and the captain did not offer to explain, but he made it clear that every courtesy was to be extended to them. All of their requests were to be handled promptly and precisely. Their visit had something to do with the derelict ship the _Conover_ had recovered several days ago, she knew that much. She supposed it only made sense that she should be the one to greet them given that she had been entrusted with overseeing the investigation regarding the vessel, although that assignment was another oddity in itself. She had been just as surprised as Dr. Yoshimoto, the head of the on-board forensic team, when the captain delegated the responsibility to her. This elicited some justifiable complaints from the doctor, but the captain simply said that the investigation was classified and the military wanted oversight to ensure it remained that way, which was enough for Jordan. She was as curious as the doctor as to why the derelict was so important, but while curiosity was part of his job, she was career military. She knew better than to ask questions. In the end, she preferred to think of the assignments as a privilege and a reflection of the confidence the captain had in her.

The airlock portal finally hissed open before her and two tall men in simple black suits and ties stepped over the threshold.

"Welcome aboard the _Conover_, gentlemen. I'm Lieutenant Commander Selkirk," Jordan introduced herself with a smile and extended a hand. Her smile rapidly faded, though, as her hand hung there, ignored. Neither of the two men made any reciprocating gesture. They just glanced around with cool detachment, not speaking or even looking at her. They were both at least a head taller than her, and Jordan frowned when she noticed each wore a pair of blue gloves over their hands. She could only guess at why, and figured perhaps that was the reason her handshake had been rebuffed. The men's gazes suddenly met on her simultaneously, and a chill ran up her spine all the way to the top of her scalp. There was a definite creeping oddness about them that went beyond the gloves and lack of cordiality. The one on her right had a face that was all bony angles, with large ears and a jutting chin. His dark, dense eyebrows looked almost comically out of place when paired with his thinning hair. His deep-set eyes regarded her in a way she had only seen in vids of big cats on the prowl, matched by the near-smirk on his lips. There was not a hint of humor anywhere in his expression. He reminded her of a mortician who enjoyed his job entirely too much. The other man had a bulbous nose over a small mouth with thin lips that curled down at the edges. His high cheekbones drew his cheeks into deep depressions. A small flip of red hair curled out over his rear-sloping brow. While his partner had a sort of feline intensity about his gaze, the red-head simply stared at her with a dull coldness that betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Jordan swallowed, trying to ignore uncharacteristic unease that was growing in her beneath the stares of the two men.

"Thank you for meeting us, Lieutenant Commander," the mortician-like one spoke first, smiling. The change of expression did not alter his predator-like gaze, and his words, although pleasant, contained nothing at all that resembled gratitude. In fact, he sounded almost contemptuous.

"You're welcome," she replied as a formality, growing more certain with each second that she did not like these men. "The captain assigned me to oversee the investigation into the derelict we recovered, so I imagine…"

"What have you found out about it?" the red-haired one interrupted her. Folding his blue hands in front of him, he shifted his stance subtly so that he was almost shoulder to shoulder with his partner. The other assumed the same posture, and both sets of eyes bored into her. What would have seemed like intense curiosity in anyone else became something far more menacing with them. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled to life and she had to resist taking an instinctive step back.

"Very little, actually," she answered. "As requested, I made sure our forensic staff followed the instructions we received for processing the ship. I downloaded and encrypted the logs before anything else was processed. Everything was kept under lockdown with only myself authorized to allow anyone access. No one did any work unless I was present. Dr. Yoshimoto, our chief forensic scientist, has prepared a full report for you if you would like to meet with him." The threatening tension of the two men almost looming over her eased somewhat.

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander. We would," the balding one said, smiling again.

"Then if you'll follow me, please, I'll take you down to the lab," Jordan answered, clipping her tone slightly. She spun a little more abruptly than she meant to and started leading them down the corridors of the ship. Their footsteps fell in behind her, almost in perfect unison with each other so that it was hard to tell if only one or both of them were following. She glanced back and got another shiver of apprehension. She could not shake the creepy sensation of those eyes boring into the back of her head. She made sure to keep her pace brisk, quickly coming to the conclusion that the less she knew about these men and the sooner she got them off the ship, the better she would feel.

She wound through the corridors of the vast cruiser, all the while feeling like she was being stalked rather than serving as an escorting. And if that wasn't bad enough, riding in a lift with them was almost unbearable. Military folk could be a superstitious bunch, but that was generally relegated to the rank and file. Officers like her were not supposed to succumb to that kind of nonsense. Unfortunately, though, she could not shake the feeling that there was something ominous about these two men. The feeling was so overwhelming that she practically bolted out of the elevator the instant the doors opened. She was embarrassed and angry that she had allowed them to rattle her, but at the same time it was more than a relief to not be confined with them anymore. Her steps increasing just a tick, she finally brought them to the anteroom outside of the forensics lab. Beyond the small windows in the hermetic doors, technicians robed in white scrubs, facemasks, and caps moved about. She paused at the intercom on the wall and pressed the call button.

"Yes?" someone answered after a few seconds wait.

"It's Lieutenant Commander Selkirk. Please inform Dr. Yoshimoto that the visitors are here."

"Yes ma'am," the voice acknowledged.

"Dr. Yoshimoto will be out shortly," Jordan turned to the two men. Neither was paying attention to her anymore, their gazes now intent on the functions going on beyond the doors.

"Your cooperation has been appreciated," the bony one answered offhand without even looking at her. It was a clear dismissal. They obviously did not require her presence, and she was just as anxious to be gone from theirs, but the captain had put her specifically in charge of their visit so she could not just leave them. She resigned herself to waiting with them and let her irritation flow a bit to cover her nerves.

_Assholes_, she thought. She found it was more comforting to assume that they were just jerks rather than to wonder what exactly it was about them that so rattled her. After a few more minutes of standing around in awkward silence, the lab doors opened with the characteristic hiss and rush of air. Dr. Yoshimoto stepped through, tugging his surgical mask down over his chin. His head dark head was bent over the digital folio he carried.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he spoke without looking up at first. "I'm Doctor…" his words caught when he was met by two pairs of eerie, penetrating eyes.

"Dr. Yoshimoto," the tall man with red hair finished for him with almost a smile, though is lips just could not seem to form into one.

"Doctor, these men are here for your report on the derelict," Jordan stepped in, bypassing introductions since, as she just now realized, they had never even offered their names.

"Uh… um, yes," Dr. Yoshimoto uncharacteristically fumbled his words, closing the folio. Jordan noted he seemed just as uneasy with the men as she had initially been. "Would you like to come in and inspect the vessel yourselves?" he asked, glancing at their blue gloves. "Commander Selkirk can let us in."

"We're here for your report, Doctor," the red-haired man went on without taking note of the offer.

"Oh. Of course. Here it is." Dr. Yoshimoto extended the folio towards the men along with an optical data disk. The balding one took the folio and immediately began to scan through it. Meanwhile, his partner slipped the disk into a pocket within his suit jacket and settled an expectant gaze on the doctor. Jordan could almost see Yoshimoto writhing beneath the stare. He cleared his throat nervously. "The raw data and test results should all be on there, as well as the ship's logs," the doctor indicated to the disk. "No one on my team opened them, of course, just as we were told." The red-head continued staring and waiting in silence. Dr. Yoshimoto swallowed and went on. "We conducted the investigation as instructed. We pumped the atmosphere out of the ship and ran it through the spectrometers and bio-sensors. It contained the typical microbes and traces of human detritus. Nothing unusual. Then we swabbed down all of the interior surfaces and analyzed those as well. We found nothing unusual from those locations either. We isolated samples of DNA from the skin and hair traces and ran it through the central database. There was a match. A Mr. Jubal Early. He was the registered owner of the ship, though where he is now I can't say. There was no evidence of violence or foul play, although there was…"

"There was another person present," the red-head interrupted. It was a statement, not a question.

"Ah, yes, there… there was a second DNA sample recovered," the doctor confirmed, clearly just as surprised as Jordan that the man had deduced that fact without looking at the report. "There were only very minute traces of it," he continued explaining. "We're lucky we even found it. It was not from Mr. Early. I ran it through the central database as well but no matches came up." The red-head reached into his pocket and removed a small sealed tube containing what looked like blood.

"Run your sample against this," he handed the tube to the doctor. Yoshimoto examined it for a second.

"We'll wait, Doctor," the balding one said, looking up from the folio. The two men fixed their eerie stares on him again.

"Oh, um… certainly. Wait here. It will only take a few minutes." The doctor swiped his ident card and punched in the security code to open the doors. Tugging his mask back over his face, he stepped into the lab. Jordan watched through the window with while he headed over to a prep station, though her mind was still stuck on wondering just who these men were and how in the Verse they had guessed there would be more than one DNA sample present in the ship. She recalled what the captain had told her about them, which was practically nothing because that was apparently all he knew as well. They definitely had that air of authority, even superiority, that many high-ranking civilian officials displayed, but it was not the usual bluff of bureaucratic arrogance. Theirs was a certain cold confidence instead. They clearly were good at what they did and had no need to put on airs about it. Now, what exactly _it_ was, she could only speculate, but all the possibilities that came to mind were somewhat disturbing. She decided it was better not to delve too deeply into that consideration. However, their strange behavior coupled with the unusual security of the investigation left her certain that there was something very sensitive and very important about this ship and its missing occupants beyond the usually "classified" excuse given.

After about ten minutes, Dr. Yoshimoto exited the lab again. His eyebrows were arched in disbelief as he read over the apparent results of the test.

"It's a match," he confirmed to the waiting men and Jordan.

"You're sure?" asked the balding one.

"The sample recovered from the ship wasn't a complete strand, but there was enough for the test to still be within the ninety-five percent confidence interval. The two are from the same person." The men shared a look and Jordan got the sense of some wordless communication passing between them.

"Thank you," the red-head said, his thin lips pressing into that almost-smile again. He extended his hand out, and Dr. Yoshimoto hesitated a second before grasping it.

"You're welcome.

"The vial, Doctor," the man corrected in frigid tones. Dr. Yoshimoto jumped and dropped the man's hand like he had been shocked.

"Oh, right." He hastily dug the tube out of his lab coat and placed it into the blue-gloved palm. The man returned it to his suit jacket.

"Your assistance has been appreciated," the balding one said, including Jordan in his empty expression of thanks. "Please make sure all of your files and the evidence you collected are destroyed," he instructed, handing the folio back to Dr. Yoshimoto. Jordan blinked a few times, bewildered by the request.

"You're not taking it?" she asked.

"We have all the information we need," the red-head explained. "Destroy it all, Commander," his tone suddenly carried an ominous implication beneath the order. A tad frightened, the doctor took the folio and nodded his assent almost automatically while Jordan wrestled with her confusion. Both men turned in unison and started to leave the anteroom.

"What about the ship?" she blurted to their backs, chasing after them.

"Dispose of it with the rest," one of the men answered, though since neither turned around, she was not sure which one spoke. "We can find our own way back, Commander." Jordan trotted to a halt and stared as they strode down the corridor, disappearing around the nearest corner.

"They want us to get rid of everything?" Dr. Yoshimoto murmured, joining her in her incredulity. "They barely even read the report. This doesn't make any sense. Who the hell are those two?" he turned a questing glance at Jordan. She couldn't have agreed more with his assessment, but at that point she was sick of the men's attitudes and was just eager to see them leaving. She shook her head, throwing aside the confusion and resuming her professional demeanor.

"Whoever they are, better get to work doing as they wished. See to it everything gets destroyed. Files, samples, everything," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," the doctor affirmed, although reluctantly. "All that work for nothing. What a waste," she heard him grumble as he disappeared back inside the lab. The cavalier treatment of her and her team's hard work irritated Jordan somewhat as well, but she mostly just hoped they were satisfied with the investigation, which from all indications they had been. She was glad for that since she had no doubt that the last thing she wanted was a poor report on her record from those two. But either way it was all obviously done with.

"Captain," she called into her com, making her way back to the bridge.

"Go ahead, Commander."

"Our guests are leaving us now."

"For what reason?" She caught the edge suspicion in the captain's voice and simmered at the men for making her seem incompetent by their abrupt departure.

"They claimed they had everything they needed. They examined Dr. Yoshimoto's report briefly, had him run one more test, and then ordered everything pertaining to the investigation destroyed." There was a few seconds' silence in which Jordan could visualize the captain's heavily-lined brow crinkling into a frown.

"Typical," he grunted when responded. "I don't have time to waste on this _fen bian_. If they say they got what they wanted, that's their prerogative. Return to the bridge, Commander. We've just received new orders from High Command."

"New orders, sir?" Jordan questioned, surprised. They hadn't been expecting any changes in their current directive.

"Special assignment," the captain explained. "We're to set course for Harvest immediately. There will be a command staff briefing at 1630."

"Aye sir," she replied. With this new concern pushing the strangeness of the last half hour out of her mind, she beat a hasty march back to the bridge.

* * *

Fastened side by side into their seats, the men's ship lurched as it detached from the docking bay of the _Conover_.

"So he found her," the balding one mentioned, eyes on the viewport.

"Yes. And she was on board his ship," the red-head agreed. His gloved hands worked the helm as he maneuvered them away from the massive cruiser.

"But somehow she managed to escape. And the bounty hunter is missing."

"We can safely assume he is dead."

"Yes. A fortunate convenience."

"He must have had the name of the ship." The red-head reached into his jacket pocket and handed his partner the optical disk. The balding one connected it to the drive and initiated some commands on his screen.

"Decrypting the log now," he confirmed. They sat in silence for a few moments while the computer worked. When it was done, the balding one began combing through the files. "There is a transponder code. Initiating a search for associated vessel." It did not take long for the results to come back. "Positive match to Firefly-class transport _Serenity_, registered to Malcolm Reynolds. The last trajectory from the navigation log indicates the inner Red Sun system as the most likely destination."

"Excellent. We have our course." Both men's faces crept into near smiles. The red-head engaged the main drive and their vessel leapt off into the black.

* * *

_fen bian_- feces, excrement, crap


	2. Chapter 2

Inara plodded on slippered feet into the dining area. She yawned, running a hand through her deep brunette waves to shake out any tangles. Then she tugged the red and gold satin robe tighter around her shoulders with a small shiver. It was chilly in here today. Either the captain had turned down the heater to save fuel, or it was on the fritz again. Something was always in need of repair on the ship. With a shake of her head, Inara wondered how she had become so attached to _Serenity_, with all her problems and quirks. By the standards of any discerning traveler _Serenity_ was _kuang zha dui_. She had rust everywhere, her accommodations were spartan, and the engine was kept turning by the sweat and faith of her loyal mechanic. The luxury cruisers and yachts most Companions might choose as a platform for expanding their client base were far more comfortable and reliable than the gritty Firefly. However, Inara knew all that glitz and glamour was only for show. Underneath it, they were the same generic boats with no real character, designed for thousands of tourists just passing through. That was one reason why she had avoided them when she decided to leave the Core. Among other things, she wanted something authentic. In _Serenity_, she had found a ship that was not just a means of transport from here to there, and that was indeed a rarity. Those quirks and blemishes were the signs of loving use by the crew that called her home. That same crew also had their problems and quirks that were as unique as the ship itself. She doubted such a frustratingly endearing bunch of misfits existed anywhere else in the Verse. She never imagined she would become so intertwined in their lives. In fact, she had been explicitly determined not to. But things had changed since she first came on board. And now they were about to change again.

She placed her cup on the counter and filled the metal kettle with water from the galley tap. As she set it on the stove to boil for her customary breakfast tea, sentimentality swelled in her chest. She glanced around the empty room. This might be the last time she ever made tea in this place. They put in at New Melbourne tomorrow, and that was to be her port of call. For nearly two years _Serenity_ had been her home as well, but that would only be the case for a few more days at most. She had already waved the Mistress of the local Training House and made plans to visit. It was mostly a formality on her part. She knew there was not much choice any longer.

_Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I stayed…_ She cut off that line of thinking before it went any further. Fond as she was of the ship and its odd contingent, her time on board was up. She needed to accept that. Her personal feelings were not a consideration in the matter, and dwelling on them would only make it harder.

"Mornin' 'Nara," Kaylee greeted her with a yawn, emerging from the foredeck hall.

"_Zao chen_, _mei mei_. You're usually up earlier than this, aren't you?" Inara asked. The mechanic dropped into a chair and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"I didn't sleep too well," she said, shoulders slouched and chin falling into her hands. "Bad dreams." Inara watched her young friend with concern in her eyes. Granted it had only been a two days since their harrowing encounter with that insane bounty hunter, but she worried about the impact it had on Kaylee. Outwardly she seemed fine, but Inara had noticed a new tension in her. It was an edginess that never existed before, and a reluctance to be alone, even in the engine room. The engine room had been her sanctuary, the place where she went just to be herself and commune with _Serenity_ in her uncanny mechanical way, but that man had violated it. Since then, Kaylee had spent a lot less time there and a lot more time in the company of the other crew members, which was understandable. Inara imagined if an intruder burst into her shuttle in the dead of night, bound her up, and threatened her with rape, she would probably feel a mite less safe in her sanctum as well. However, the Guild had trained her to deal with that threat. It was a necessary risk in her line of work. Kaylee had no such defenses. She knew she might be able to help Kaylee overcome the shock of her ordeal, given some time, but that was one thing she did not have. She could only offer comforting words and hope the event would do no permanent harm to the girl.

"I'm sorry, Kaylee," Inara uttered her sympathies.

"Oh, no, it's all right," Kaylee assured. "It's just… I'll be glad when we get to New Melbourne. Maybe gettin' planet side a while will help, you know."

"Maybe," Inara agreed, reserving the rest of her concern inside.

"So, got any choice clients booked up?" Kaylee shifted subjects with a conspiratorial tone. Inara's back was turned as she poured the water for her tea, so the guilt swimming across her face was not visible to her friend. Kaylee was always interested in her dealings whenever she had any, though the young woman had a highly romanticized perception of a Companion's life. Inara guessed it came either from some holdover of youthful, teenage naiveté or from the mechanic's innate and insatiable curiosity.

"Yeah, got any choice clients booked up?" a new voice seconded the question, though the curiosity was replaced by sarcasm. Inara turned and fixed a warning glare at Malcolm Reynolds as he stepped into the dining area. He met her stare with level coolness as he walked up behind Kaylee and folded his arms.

"I've had a few solicitations," Inara carefully controlled her voice to mask the sting of Mal's words.

"I hope you get someone real nice. It'd be great to just fall into a lover's arms and forget about everything for a while," Kaylee went on, oblivious to the sudden tension between the two.

"Yeah. Must be nice to not have a care for anyone or anything in the Verse," Mal added. Inara felt her cheeks growing hot. She fought down the seething redness and focused on calmly stirring her tea.

"Yes, it can be very therapeutic," she smiled at Kaylee. Taking a sip from her cup, she hit Mal with a frigid stare over the rim.

"Wish I had someone like that," Kaylee sighed.

"Whoa, careful there, lil' Kaylee," Mal cautioned. "Bein' a Companion ain't all about romancin' and candlelight. Mostly it's about sex. And money. Wouldn't want to make a man fall in love with you. Then you might have to hurt his feelings when you left him the next day, and that wouldn't be right." Inara's fingers turned white as she gripped her teacup harder. The urge to fling it at Mal's head was almost too tempting to resist. For whatever reason, he had always detested her profession and made no secret of it. She was used to that. His barbs and insults rarely bothered her anymore. But this was descending to a new low. He was accusing her of deliberately manipulating her clients' emotions! It took a lot more effort than she expected to keep calm, but she managed it.

"It can be very romantic," she confirmed to Kaylee while trying to ignore Mal. "But it's more of a spiritual experience. I choose my clients because they need something only I can give them. An experience with a Companion is more about fulfilling the needs of the soul than the body." Mal rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Well ain't you all just a regular bunch o' saints." Inara sipped her tea again, preparing for his next snide remark. Instead, the captain left it at that and turned to his mechanic. "Kaylee, we got a little spare coin left, so when we get planet side tomorrow I got a notion for you and Wash to go get us supplies and spare parts." Kaylee's shoulders perked up. "Essentials only," Mal emphasized, causing them to slump again. "Take an inventory of all the things you think we can't do without."

"But, Cap'n, everything's essential," she protested.

"No it ain't. I'm talkin' only the things that might leave us stranded if they broke."

"One little part breakin' is all it takes to _xian ru huan_. Puts a strain on all them more important ones. Next thing you know we got a catalyzer or compression coil or inertial dampener blown."

"Well, we don't got that much. You gotta prioritize."

"Fine," Kaylee grumbled, getting up. Mal followed her to the doorway as she headed towards the crew bunks.

"I mean it," he called after her.

"I hear ya!" she yelled back without turning. She descended into her bunk and slammed the door.

Mal swung back to Inara now that they were alone, anger clearly evident on his face.

"So I guess lyin' to her now will make it all better when you actually gotta tell her you're leavin'. That your plan?"

"I wasn't lying to her, Mal."

"You sure as hell didn't tell her the truth. I'm pretty sure that's the definition of lying."

"Well you're not making it any easier on me."

"You ain't makin' it easier on yourself." Mal moved towards her. "You told me you'd be leavin' once we reached New Melbourne. We land there tomorrow, and you still ain't told a one of 'em. Now the others I ain't so concerned about. But Kaylee thinks of you like her _jie jie_. I will not have you hurt her by waitin' to the last minute, or skippin' outta here without so much as a word of goodbye. You can't string her along like that." True shock crossed Inara's face, followed by furious anger. She slammed her teacup down hard enough that half of the drink splashed out onto the stovetop.

"Mal, what do you think I am?! Some kind of _hei xin gui_?" she spluttered.

"You ain't winnin' no awards for kindness in my book the way you're behavin'."

"I care about Kaylee. I would never, ever hurt her. But I'll tell her when the time is right. Not when you feel like I should, and certainly not while you're going to stand there and _chou di_ me about my work!"

"Well your time's runnin' out," Mal leaned over the stove dividing them. "And if you don't say somethin', then I will."

"Mal, if you even speak a hint to her before I do…" Noise on the rear stairs halted her threat mid-sentence, and both turned their heads in that direction.

"Ow," Simon complained as he emerged from around the corner of the stairwell, limping.

"Don't put weight on it. Here, lean on me." River appeared right behind him. His sister came around to his left side and tried to throw his arm over her shoulder.

"River, it's okay. I don't really need… ow!" Simon stumbled and winced as he took another step. He bent down, clutching at his left thigh.

"See, I told you." River folded her arms and shook her head at her elder sibling, conjuring the image of a mother chiding her errant son.

"Okay. I guess I could use a little help," Simon groaned.

"Poor brother. Takes care of others but doesn't know how to take care of himself." River slipped her shoulder beneath his arm and helped him upright.

"Oh. Good morning," Simon said as he rose, greeting the two faces in the dining area which were still awkwardly frozen over the stove.

"Good morning," Inara did her best bend her expression into a smile.

"Mornin'," Mal cleared his throat and mumbled. They threw each other sidelong glares and Inara knew their argument was not over. She turned her back quickly to compose her features under the cover of searching for a rag to mop up her spilled tea.

"Well look at this," she heard Mal say, cheerful all of a sudden. "Little sister's helpin' her big brother out now. My how the tables have turned. How's he doin'?"

"He's very stubborn," River pronounced with mild disapproval.

"I expect that runs in the family," said Mal. Inara found a rag, and, feeling her emotions safely under control now, turned to face the pair.

"How is your leg, Simon?" she asked, putting on the most polite smile she could manage while she sopped up the mess.

"It's… painful," Simon grimaced while River carefully helped him descend the stoop to the dining room floor.

"Gettin' shot usually is," Mal observed. River guided her brother over to the table, pulled out a chair, and eased him into it.

"Can I get you anything?" Inara asked solicitously.

"No, thanks," Simon said with a sigh as River knelt down and propped his leg up on an extra chair. Mal chuckled.

"Looks like she's finally found her niche, Doctor."

"Yes. Though she can be kind of overbearing sometimes," Simon glanced at his sister with a teasing grin.

"Simon takes care of me. I take care of him," River stated with full seriousness.

"I guess you're gettin' a taste of your own medicine, whether you want it or not." Mal smiled, but his eyes drifted back over to Inara. The pleasantness on his face started to fade. She saw he was not about to let her get away without saying whatever else he had to say to her. Her own expression hardened. A vaguely tense silence hovered in the room.

"It's cold," River uttered, suddenly shivering and rubbing her arms.

"Yes it is. I think perhaps the heater isn't working properly," Inara mentioned with a crisp look for Mal.

"Yeah. I'll have Kaylee take a look at it," Mal excused. Simon's eyes moved perceptively between the two, taking note of the unspoken tension.

"I'm sorry, did we interrupt something?" he asked.

"No. Why?" Mal responded with just a breath of hesitation.

"It just seemed like… you were in the middle of something," Simon glanced between them again.

"We were just discussing my schedule when we get to New Melbourne," Inara said, falsely casual.

"Oh." She heard in Simon's voice that he did not quite believe her. She forced her features to remain pleasant, though. Inside she cursed Mal for riling her and shaking her control.

"A farewell journey." River's eyes alighted on Inara as she spoke. There was no malice or accusation in the words. It was a just a simple statement, seemingly lacking context like much of what the girl said. Inara met River's penetrating gaze for only a second, but in that instant she knew that, somehow, River _knew_. All the fear and guilt that had tortured her since Nandi's funeral suddenly rose up, overwhelming. She had to get out of the room.

"Excuse me," she muttered hastily. Grabbing what was left of her tea, she hurried out.

"What was that all about?" Simon's question reached her retreating ears, but she was descending the forward stairs too rapidly to hear if he got an answer.

Reaching her shuttle over the cargo bay, she flung open the door and slammed it behind her, making sure to engage the lock. Safe within its confines, she let her fury loose.

"Z_uo jing guan de tian bu shi xiang de xiao pi gu yan!_" The cup in her hand shook so much that more of its contents spilled onto the floor. She set it down on the table and began pacing. She knew what she was doing. Mal was just being infuriatingly intrusive, or more so than usual, and she chided herself for letting him wreak havoc on her emotions like that. He had no standing to force her to explain her motives to the crew. Nor did he have the right to take it upon himself to do it for her. Plus, he had the gall to suggest she might purposefully hurt Kaylee by not telling her she was leaving! "_Mang chun cai_!" And River's comment was too prescient to be a coincidence. It was not so hard now to believe that she might be a reader, as outrageous as it sounded. Either that or she was as perceptive as any House-trained Companion. That look had cut right through her, stripped her bare, and left her feeling as exposed and vulnerable as if she stood there naked.

It was not until the floor suddenly wobbled beneath her feet and the room blurred that she became aware of her noisy, wheezing breath and the pain in her chest. Her pacing halted and she pressed a hand between her breasts, the other hand reaching for something to steady her against the abrupt lightheadedness. The pain intensified rapidly and her lungs labored. Something sharp like talons viciously slashed into them. Violent, spastic coughing wracked her as she tried to draw breath. She doubled over, trying in vain to fight the reflex and inhale, but it was impossible. For another agony of seconds, she lurched and heaved. Finally the constriction eased and she sucked in life-giving air. She practically fell onto her bed, spots dancing before her eyes. Droplets of sweat beaded on her pale brow, and the trembling in her hands was no longer the effect anger. Her heart hammered in her ears while dizziness turned the room into a whirling carnival ride. The demon was there, raising its ugly head just below the surface.

The shuttle door rattled as someone tried to open it, and then a pounding came from outside.

"Inara! I ain't finished yet! Open up!" Mal hollered. Inara did not have the strength to respond. It was all she could do to simply turn her head and look at the door.

"Inara! This is still my shuttle, you know," Mal banged and yelled some more. She was thankful the exterior and interior doors had separate locks. Mal could not get in unless she unlocked the shuttle from the inside. She ignored his shouting and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

"_An ru tai shan. Wei yi li, bu dong de._" The words came out a hoarse whisper as she was still working hard to breathe normally. She visualized the mountain, resisting the wind and rain, its feet rooted deep in the heart of the earth. Patience, perseverance, and will. It took millions of years for the elements to weather the rock. So it would be with her. She would resist. It would not take her. Not yet, at least. It took a few moments, but visualization worked. The claws in her chest retreated. She opened her eyes and drew in shaky breaths. She had escaped this time. But what would have happened if she had been in the galley still? The past two weeks she had sequestered herself in her shuttle as much as possible, but there was still a risk. Granted it had taken time to make arrangements, and _Serenity_ was only just now reaching someplace suitably resembling civilization. But still she feared she had stayed too long. _I have to get off this ship_, she resolved._ Before it's too late._

* * *

_kuang zha dui_- pile of slag

_zao chen_- good morning

_mei mei_- little sister

_xian ru huan_- to land into trouble

_jie jie_- big sister

_hei xin gui_- black-hearted monster

_chou di_- hurl insults at

_Zuo jing guan de tian bu shi xiang de xiao pi gu yan_- "Ignorant, narrow-minded, tactless little ass!"

_mang chun cai_- blind fool

_An ru tai shan. Wei yi li, bu dong de_- "Solid as Mt. Taishan. I stand majestically, immovable."


	3. Chapter 3

Mal's boots tapped against the cobbles as he and Zoe wove through the crowd in the vast Seven K marketplace. Having never set foot in this part of New Melbourne before, he was surprised to discover how much the market resembled the Eavesdown Docks on Persephone. Located seven kilometers outside the port city of Odessa, and hence its name, most of the shops were retrofitted shipping containers, just like in Eavesdown, with the occasional permanent structure inserted here or there. And just like Eavesdown, it was a place where virtually any goods in the Verse, legal or otherwise, could be bought or sold. Unfortunately, that did not include priceless, antique, first-generation laser pistols. Mal's attempt to unload the Lassiter had fallen through yet again. Meeting with their potential fence, he was naturally distrustful, having never dealt with the man before. The contact was likewise leery of him and Zoe, and made his feelings abundantly well-known with a pair of pistols displayed in full view on his belt and a hand always resting near one of them. That mutual suspicion made dealing difficult enough to start with, but Mal had not anticipated a language barrier. It turned out that the man's accent was so thick it was nearly impossible to decipher what he was saying. So when negotiations inevitably broke down due to some perceived insult or other, Mal did not even have the pleasure of knowing what he had said to irk his buyer. And although the man's rants were unintelligible, his gesticulations were well understood to mean that he and Zoe should make haste for the exit. Deciding discretion was the better part of not getting shot, they left empty-handed. Well, not completely empty-handed. He still had that _gorram_ laser pistol, but he was beginning to realize that "priceless" and "worthless" were just two sides of the same coin. Back out on the streets of the marketplace, he also noticed that it was not just his fence that had a speech impediment. He could understand less than half of the barkers and hawkers around. Apparently whatever it was people spoke here was more common than Mandarin or English. That alone did not bode well for finding another soul willing to part with his coin for the weapon, even at a drastically reduced price.

A breeze wafted the scent of salt, fish, and seaweed past his nostrils. Even this far inland Mal could still smell the sea. After the dry, recycled air aboard _Serenity_, it was always a treat to take in a fresh breeze planet side. The air here was particularly vibrant, so much different from the more common arid worlds found on the Border and Rim. He could not remember the last time he had visited a world with a significant ocean, excluding Bellerophon. Hovering a kilometer or two over one on some wealthy _hun dan_'s private estate did not count in his estimation. He might have reveled more in the olfactory pleasures of Odessa and their layover in general had the pressing lack of cash not been a constant worry on his mind.

"Maybe we should've put in at New Melbourne proper," he mentioned to Zoe.

"It was mostly a resort town, if I remember. Tourists and the like. Plus the port fees. Besides, you said this place had the right kind of feel. I think disreputable was the word," Zoe said with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, well at least we'd been there before and might actually understand a word or two. Seriously, doesn't anybody here speak English? Or Chinese?" he called loudly, spinning in a circle.

"I speak English," a barker hurried over to him. "Yuri will offer you great price. Real bargain," the toothy man pitched, his accent not nearly as strong as the fence's had been, but still marked. "Here, have look," he thrust forward a handful of trinkets. Mal did not take the time to examine them, but just waved the man off and kept walking. The merchant pushed his wares towards Zoe next as she passed, still expressing a hopeful smile, but she politely shook her head and sent him back to his stall with a look.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what, sir?" Zoe asked.

"That fella woulda' hounded me to buy somethin' until I threatened to shoot him. You give him a look and he's on his way."

"Must be a feminine thing," she shrugged.

"Yeah, must be," Mal muttered.

"So, what's our next move?"

"Get back to the ship. I'll send out a few waves, see if I can't track down another potential buyer somewhere on this world."

"And if there are none?" Zoe asked, always thinking a step ahead of him.

"Then we best find ourselves some work. Gotta be some decent jobs to be had here."

"We could always get into runnin' caviar," she suggested.

"Nah. Too dangerous. I hear the local syndicates got that all wrapped up. Need an in with them to get anywhere near the stuff. And you tread on their turf without their permission, you're liable to end up just like the sturgeon. I like my entrails where they are." A short silence broke their conversation.

"So where do we stand, then?" Zoe's question was neutral, but Mal heard the concern beneath it. He stared straight ahead but felt his brow wrinkling into lines of worry.

"It ain't good. I gave most of it to Wash and Kaylee. There's a tiny bit left over, in case of emergency. But if somethin' really goes wrong, it ain't gonna be enough." Zoe was silent, and Mal knew she was considering options. He hoped she would come up with something that he had not.

"You could ask Inara for her rent a little early," she ventured. Mal felt his mouth twist into a scowl.

"She's paid her last this month. Can't count on that anymore." For a moment he regretted his words. Then he remembered how Inara had stonewalled him the previous morning. _The hell with it_, he thought. Zoe was his first mate. She had every right to know, especially since it affected their financial situation. He heard her footsteps beside him halt for a few paces, and then quicken as she hurried to catch back up.

"Sir, are you sayin' she's leavin'?"

"That's what she told me," Mal kept his voice level, trying not to let the bitterness seep through.

"When? Why?"

"Ain't given me no reason I could decipher. I 'spect she'll be gone as soon as she can rightly find someplace else to go." He thought back to that conversation with Inara with a deepening frown. From what he remembered, it sounded like she was afraid. He could not figure out why. He had initially tried to insulate her from the more unpleasant aspects of life on his ship, but that just seemed to amuse her. Companions had more status and respect than anyone in the Verse, except maybe for a Member of Parliament. Even then, it was a toss-up. But Inara could look down on all of them like they were insects. Yet, despite her high breeding, she had mettle and grittiness that let her survive out in the rough-and-tumble. Hell, it had been her wit and deception that had brought them the Lassiter. But something had happened to her right after that brouhaha at the _Heart of Gold_. Maybe it was Nandi's death. Her friend and former Companion had been a remarkable woman, and Mal still felt regret when he thought about her. He just learned to live with it, though, like everything else. Maybe that was something Inara could not do. Coming face to face with mortality like that, it changed people. He knew firsthand. Perhaps she finally saw the dangers of his kind of life and decided it was time to get out while she could. Could he really blame her for that?

"She ain't said a word," Zoe went on almost to herself, confused and perhaps just a slight bit hurt.

"Somethin' which don't sit well with me," Mal grumbled.

"Kaylee's gonna be heartbroken." Anger darkened Mal's face as he thought of Kaylee's reaction. It was not an idle threat he had made about telling Kaylee himself, though he sincerely hoped it would not come to that. "Maybe she's not gettin' enough business?" Zoe offered as an explanation. "We ain't been to many places recently that offer her a whole lotta choice in clients."

"I reckon that's part of it," Mal agreed, ready to move on to a different subject.

"She's been with us near two years. I know we're goin' through a bit of a dry spell, but still…. Can't quite believe it. Might make things a bit harder for us once she's gone," Zoe evaluated.

"We'll manage," Mal stated, but his face did not match the confidence of his words, and he knew Zoe saw it.

"Of course, sir," she agreed, though Mal heard her mustering optimism she also did not feel. "We'll manage."

* * *

"Check," Simon announced, firmly placing the white rook on the A6 square of the chessboard. He glanced up at his sister. River leaned over the board, scrutinizing the pieces for a moment. She moved her king to E7. Simon took her pawn with his rook in his next move, but she immediately countered by taking one of his two remaining pawns with her king, and positioning to take his rook next. Simon frowned, his turn to scrutinize the board.

"Your move," River said, leaning back.

"Are you losing again?" Shepherd Book asked, folding his tome into his lap. Simon glanced over his shoulder.

"Maybe you would like to play her in the next game?" he challenged. Book grinned and rose, coming to stand beside the board.

"Oh, I think it's more enjoyable just to watch."

"Any advice?" Simon asked the Shepherd. Book stroked his chin while he analyzed the situation.

"No kibitzing," River warned him.

"No, of course not," he uttered gravely. Simon returned his attention to the board. He looked over the field a few more seconds. He reached for his rook, but his fingers hesitated to touch the piece. Finally, with a sigh, he moved it back to the E4 position. Without hesitation, River moved her pawn from G4 to G5, right into the field of attack of his last pawn. He frowned at her, but she kept her eyes on the board, making no indication she recognized the jeopardy her piece was in. With a tiny flourish of satisfaction, Simon reached for his pawn and knocked River's piece from the board, replacing it with his. Now they each had one pawn, one rook, and their kings left. It as an even match. Simon looked up, a little amused at his sister's mistake.

"All yours."

"Checkmate," River announced, resting her king on the G6 square right behind her rook.

"That's not checkmate," Simon objected, scouring the board.

"It will be in four moves," River countered.

"How?" he demanded. River sighed, almost exasperated.

"Move here," she took his rook and moved it away from her pawn, "my pawn gets promoted, and it's checkmate. Move here," she moved his rook beside her last pawn, "I move my rook here." She placed her rook in front of his. "If you take my rook, my pawn takes yours, so you move here to protect it. Then I move my rook here, and…" Simon observed the newly rearranged board and his shoulders fell. She was right. With his king trapped in the corner, no matter what he did, in about four more moves it was all over for him. He groaned and fell back in his chair.

"That's quite impressive," Book chuckled. "I believe that's, what, four in a row now?" Simon threw the preacher an unappreciative glance. "But who's counting," Book smiled.

"Can we play something else now?" River asked.

"Sure. Let's find some other game where you can humiliate me in utter, crushing defeat again and again," Simon complained, clearing the pieces from the board. River stuck her tongue out at him. Before they could decide what else to play, though, the rumble of a motor echoed through the cargo hold and into the commons.

"Sounds like Kaylee and Wash are back," said the Shepherd as the engine grew louder, followed by the clatter of the mule climbing up _Serenity_'s loading ramp. He headed for the hold. Simon rose more slowly, levering himself upright with the makeshift cane Kaylee had fabricated for him. It was a big help in getting around with his leg still tender. At least he did not have to rely on River supporting him everywhere he went, although she still tried.

"Don't walk too fast," River admonished, taking his free arm. "It's stiff and you've been sitting too long."

"I'm fine, River," he protested mildly, however she was right. His leg was very stiff and he probably should have gotten up and walked around sooner. Of course, admitting that would only encourage her so he just tried not to cringe too much as he walked. With River's dogged assistance, he hobbled his way towards the hold.

"I can't believe this is all we could get," Kaylee was griping as Simon climbed the stairs up to the bay. She slid off the trailer attached to the mule. Wash cut the ignition and the all-terrain vehicle died with a lurch.

"Well, the captain said essentials only," Wash reminded her.

"Yeah, but we didn't even have enough to get new entry couplings. I give the ones we got now about another week."

"Then I guess they're not essential. Or, at least, not as essential as what doesn't have another week," Wash parleyed.

"We'll see you say that next time you're flyin' us into atmo and one of 'em blows out on you. That'll make landing _qu shi_."

"What? Interesting landings are my specialty," Wash grinned. "It's no fun if it isn't a challenge once in a while."

"Challenge my _pi gu_," Kaylee shot back. She hefted a bulging burlap sack off the trailer and flung it over her shoulder. Her irritation melted, though, when she saw Simon and River. "Hey," she beamed at Simon. "How's that cane workin' out for ya?"

"It's been great. Thanks," Simon said. "I keep telling River I don't need her help now that I have it, but she insists."

"Well, you should be thankful you got a loving sister like her to take care of you."

"Oh, I am, but it's not like… I mean, I didn't mean…" he spluttered. River looked at Kaylee with a patient smile and a slight shake of her head. Kaylee giggled.

"Sounds like little sister's got ya by the man-parts there, Doc," Jayne hollered from his weight bench across the hold. Simon felt his face redden and Kaylee laughed some more.

"Want to come play with us?" River invited the mechanic. "Simon is losing. He could use some help."

"Sorry, River" Kaylee apologized as she headed towards the stairs with her load. "I gotta get started on these repairs. Those that I can do, at least, with what little we got."

"Oh," River's eyes dropped a little in disappointment.

"But, hey, you can come and keep me company while I work," Kaylee offered, trying to pep her back up. River glanced with hesitance at her brother.

"Go ahead," Book encouraged her. "I'll watch out for him."

"Seriously, I'm fine," Simon emphasized.

"Make sure he uses his cane," River instructed Book, ignoring Simon's assertion. "And don't let him walk up the stairs alone."

"I'll keep him in line," Book grinned.

"Okay, I'm not a baby," Simon said wearily, much to the amusement of everyone except River. She gave him another concerned look before following after Kaylee.

"So, I take it your shopping trip wasn't as productive as you'd hoped," Book surmised to Wash, changing the subject.

"It was a real cultural experience," Wash replied. "Did you know that everybody on this planet speaks some crazy language that nobody else in the Verse understands? It's surreal. I thought we'd stepped into a different dimension."

"It's Russian," Simon explained.

"What about rushin'?" Jayne called out, heaving his barbell onto the rack and sitting up.

"They're speaking Russian. Or Ukrainian," Simon elaborated. "I was looking up New Melbourne in my Encyclopedia. Some of the islands have very distinct cultures influenced by where the settlers originally came from. Odessa was settled by a large group of colonists from the Crimean region on Earth-that-was. In fact, this city was named after the historic city of Odessa in the country of the Ukraine."

"That would've been nice to know beforehand," Wash mentioned.

"Well whatever they're speakin', I hope you managed to get some decent grub from 'em," Jayne sauntered over, wiping sweat from his face with a towel and then throwing it around his neck.

"Oh, I got us a real treat," Wash announced, grinning. He reached a hand into the other sack on the back of the mule. After a dramatic pause on each of the faces waiting eagerly around him, he whipped out a standard-looking meal packet. "Ta-da!"

"That looks like the same damn stuff we always get," Jayne complained.

"Not so! These are _fish-based_ protein meals. It was all I could find. But, I thought it would be a nice change of pace for a while. Get a little variety. Except that they probably don't taste any different," Wash's enthusiasm drained away as he examined one of the packages. "But hey!" he perked back up. "Fish-based, eh?" He modeled the package with his best infomercial smile. Jayne whipped his towel off his shoulders with a scowl and headed back to his workout bench.

"Wash, you and Kaylee get everything I sent you for?" Mal and Zoe appeared at the end of the loading ramp and marched onboard.

"Uh, yeah, Cap'n," Wash quickly dropped his shtick. "We're stocked up on consumables," he patted the sack of foodstuffs. "Kaylee picked up as much spare parts as she could. She's workin' on repairs right now. We should have just enough left to fuel us up." He reached into his pocket and slapped some coins into Mal's outstretched hand. Mal examined the change with a small frown and then stuffed it into the pocket of his coat.

"Anyone heard from Inara?" Mal looked around his crew.

"I thought she was going to visit a House a few islands over. Be gone most of the day," Wash said.

"That's right," Mal confirmed. "So, anyone heard from her?" he repeated.

"She hasn't checked in, if that's what you mean," Book stated. Simon was not the only one who noticed there was an odd quality of tension to Mal's question that was not quite typical. Wash tossed a look of curiosity in his wife's direction. Zoe met it, but quickly lowered her eyes. Something was up, but neither Mal nor Zoe offered any more details.

"How did getting rid of your priceless artifact go?" Book inquired along that line.

"It didn't," Mal answered, moving away from the group towards the forward stairs.

"So… what do we do now?" asked Wash.

"Keep tryin'. There's bound to be a buyer somewhere in the Verse. Meantime, get that stuff stowed. Then you and Zoe check out the local postings. See if we can't pick us up a job or two to cover expenses for the time being," Mal ordered before he disappeared towards the bridge.

"Somethin' goin' on?" Wash asked with mild concern, wrapping a hand around his wife's waist.

"I'll explain later," she deferred. "So, tell me you found us somethin' good to eat."

"Fish-based protein! _Oooh!_" Wash displayed one of the food packets again. Zoe smiled and gave him a peck on the lips.

* * *

_hun dan_- bastard

_qu shi_- an interesting episode

_pi gu_- ass


	4. Chapter 4

Inara waited patiently in the exam room, eyes closed and meditating. The training House infirmary, although not lavishly appointed, felt far more like a moderately luxurious hotel than a medical wing. The table she lay upon was topped with a plush mattress and fine, supportive pillows that cradled her in a way meant to specifically minimize pressure points on her body. The overhead light mimicked sunlight on a warm spring day and was diffused about the room with translucent hangings. A gentle palette of colors shaded the walls with an abstract design of slowly undulating waves or ripples. Just like every other aspect of House design, each detail was carefully tailored to evoke a certain mood. This room was meant to exude comfort, tranquility, and relaxation, and for the time being Inara had yielded to it. Enhanced by her meditative state, she was completely calm and serene. Her palliative trance was all too brief, though, as the moment she heard the gentle knock on the door, the fears she had managed to momentarily escape from came rushing back.

_"Jin lai_," she called, opening her eyes and raising herself to a sitting position on the table. The Mistress of the House, Sheydra, and the House doctor both entered, closing the door behind them. A quick read of their carefully neutral expressions sent Inara's stomach plummeting to her feet. She swallowed, her hands gripping the padded exam table, but she kept her gaze steady on the doctor. "What is the result, Doctor?" she asked, despite already being certain of the answer.

"I'm sorry to say that your initial suspicion was correct," the small, dark haired woman confirmed in a professionally apologetic tone. Even knowing it was coming, the pronunciation still pitched Inara's emotions into chaos. She took a few slow breaths, trying to remember the calm that had recently ensconced her and infuse it into her body once again.

"I see," she somehow managed to speak without her voice breaking.

"When did you say you first started noticing your symptoms?"

"Just over two weeks ago," Inara reiterated while the doctor checked some notes on her tablet.

"And it did not show up at your annual physical?"

"Correct."

"Hmm...," the doctor considered. "Well, I've ordered a full work-up and scan, but you should begin treatment right away. That is the best chance to curb its progress," the doctor advised.

"Is it the same as before?" Inara asked.

"I'm not sure," the doctor shook her dark head. "We'll know that after some more tests, but even if it is, current therapies have improved to some degree in years since. They may have some effect, but we won't know until we try."

"I've already contacted the Guild," Sheydra interjected. "They've given me verbal permission to accept you into the House and place you on sabbatical. We can file the formal documents whenever you like. In the meantime, we'll have a private room made up for you."

"Thank you," Inara truly was trying to feel grateful, but her thanks sounded as hollow as the pit of her stomach felt.

"I can have your belongings sent for," Sheydra added.

"No. I'll collect them myself," Inara refused the offer.

"You really shouldn't leave," the doctor frowned at her. "It would be extremely easy to…"

"Could you give us a moment alone, please, Doctor?" interrupted Sheydra. The doctor's sharp eyes darted between the two Companions. She frowned some more, but nodded her head after a few seconds.

"Of course, Mistress." The small woman folded her tablet beneath her arm and exited the room. The door clicked shut behind her and a weighty silence descended.

"Inara, I'm so sorry," Sheydra touched her arm lightly.

"I'll be fine, Sheydra," Inara said with a deep, measured breath. She put on a brave smile for her friend. "It will be okay."

"Yes, it will," Sheydra responded with a compassionate smile. "We'll take care of you here. I'll make sure you get the best care possible. In fact, once you're fully healed, maybe you'll want to stay on our little backwater world. It's nothing like the splendors of Sihnon, but it has its charm," Sheydra teased lightly. "I'm sure the girls would love you, and I could use someone to demonstrate to them what a true Companion is," she finished with honesty.

"Thank you," Inara answered, although this time her voice was heavy with the mass of emotions rolling through her.

"I'm sorry it had to happen to you again. I remember what it was like last time. It wasn't fair," Sheydra's smile dropped as she spoke.

"Life has never been fair. We make of it what we will," Inara responded with far more equanimity than she felt.

"True, but that doesn't make it easy."

"No, it doesn't," Inara agreed. Breathing a deep sigh and fighting down the growing tightness in her chest, she slipped off of the exam table. "I should be getting back."

"You're sure you don't want me to have a courier pick your things up for your?" Sheydra offered again. "I know which ones I can trust if you're concerned about your valuables."

"It's not that. I just need to do this. I have to give them something. I'll finish the transfer documentation myself. It won't take me more than a day or two to tie everything up."

"Very well. But, please, wave me if you need anything at all. Anything." Sheydra clasped both of Inara's hands tightly.

"_Ji xiang ru yi_."

"_Duo xie_." The two shared a faint smile that was as intimate as a hug. Then Inara broke the grasp and headed out the door.

Once out of the House and back in her shuttle, she leaned against the compartment wall for a brief moment, collecting her strength. She was mentally and physically drained, but she had to find the energy to make it back to _Serenity_ and keep up appearances for at least two more days. Then she would be gone, they would be safe, and she could focus on recovering. _If that's even possible_, she could not stop the fatalistic thought from leaking through. She always knew there was a risk. But even though she had taken precautions and prepared herself for the possibility, she was surprised by how hard it had hit her. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Dwelling on it threatened to subsume her with emotion again, so she thrust herself upright and strode into the cockpit, determined not to give in. As she lifted the craft off and sent it soaring over the ocean, she forced her mind to search for the positive aspects of her situation. Sheydra's offer to become an instructor at the House in the future was both generous and intriguing. If it was similar to other Border worlds she had visited, Inara knew the girls there were not quite what she would consider Companions. She was no snob, but that was the truth of the matter in a lot of Border Houses. And even though Sheydra was a highly skilled and respected Companion, one of the best in House Madrassa when they were both there, she was still the only Core-trained Companion among her entire staff. Despite her aptitude, she could not overhaul an entire House all alone.

That was where Inara realized she could make a difference. She could put her unique experiences to use in new and challenging ways. In fact, they needed her there. She cringed inside when she thought about what might happen to those girls if they encountered a particularly terrible client, someone like Rance Burgess. The memory of what Nandi had accomplished at the _Heart of Gold_ lingered with her, and those women were not Companions at all. If Nandi could bring a regular whorehouse up to that level of respectability, she could certainly help turn this House into something that would rival any House in the Core. It was a challenge she felt worthy of undertaking. She could be an instructor, passing on her knowledge and wisdom to the next generation of Companions. She would not have to engage clients anymore if she chose not to, and there would be no dishonor in it, and no uncomfortable questions about her motives. And when the time came, she could retire comfortably with the support of the Guild. If she stayed on _Serenity_, she risked losing all of that and more. It never really was a choice. This was where her path was leading her now. _It's the right thing to do_, she told herself. She ignored the small ache in her chest and banked the shuttle towards Odessa port and what she was now sure would be her final few days aboard _Serenity._

However, when the coastline of the port city started creeping up on the horizon, her modicum of certainty about her situation rapidly vanished. As she glided in over the multitude of wharves stuffed with fishing trawlers of every size, she pondered how she was going to do what she had to do next. Mal already knew, and he would probably be elated when she finally gave him a definitive timetable for her departure. But how was she to tell the others? What would they think? How could she explain it to them? It had become so much more complicated than she ever anticipated, and part of her just wanted turn the shuttle around and fly back to the House. That was not a way out, though, and she knew it. After her first couple months on board _Serenity_, she had already begun to realize it might be difficult for her to leave if the time came. She never dreamed it would be almost impossible. Trimming back the throttle to approach speed, she gained some altitude as she came over the city proper. She checked her airspace clearance with the local port control and then radioed in to _Serenity_, hoping her voice would remain steady.

"_Serenity_, this is Inara, copy?"

"Well hey, Inara," Wash's familiar inflection crackled over the speaker. "We were just talking about you."

"Maybe that's why my ears were burning," she replied with forced humor. "I'm on final approach. All clear for docking?"

"All clear, as usual. How was your visit to the House?"

"It was… enlightening," she settled on that vague description. "I'll be docking in about a minute. Out."

"Copy that. _Serenity_ out."

A few moments later she gently lowered the shuttle until it made solid contact with _Serenity_'s docking arm. The craft gave a lurch sideways as the arm engaged and slowly retracted the vehicle into the docking bay. Inara cut the throttle and powered down all her systems. By the time she was done, the docking procedure was complete and the airlocks were mated. She took a moment before she left the helm, composing herself by dispassionately listing the tasks ahead of her, like chores. Her first order of business was to find Mal and inform him. It was not a conversation she was looking forward to, but there was no avoiding it. With a huff of determination, she slid from her seat and made her way to the airlock. Unlocking the door, she tugged it open and almost bumped noses with Zoe.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, startled, and almost tripped on the door frame as she jumped back. Zoe did not even flinch. _Serenity_'s first mate just crossed her arms and blocked the doorway with her formidable posture. Sharp eyes raked Inara, and her Companion's training had little trouble deciphering what was behind them. Zoe knew. Mal must have let it slip somehow. There was a flare of anger at the captain , but it was only momentary. She suppressed it before it escaped and righted her expression into a generic smile. She was not ready to deal with Zoe just yet. "Excuse me," she said, but the other woman did nothing to get out of her way. An awkward couple of seconds passed. "Um, Zoe? May I leave my shuttle, please?" Inara tried for a touch of humor.

"Not until you tell me if it's true," Zoe flatly refused. Inara's mind flipped rapid-fire through all of the various excuses and distractions she could use to avoid answering, but she was suddenly tired of that game. Besides, what reason was there to hide it anymore now that she had made her decision? She let her shoulders sag in resignation, dropping her mask.

"Yes, it's true," she confessed. Zoe's arms slowly unfolded. Her hard expression softened, and Inara was surprised to see hurt behind it, along with simple confusion.

"Why?" she asked.

"There are a lot of reasons," Inara generalized, which was accurate in a way, although she felt the pressure of the real cause like a leaden weight upon her spirit.

"If it's 'cause you're not gettin' enough business, I can talk to the captain. Mal's stubborn, but he'll listen. We can come up with some arrangement that'll…"

"That's only part of it," Inara cut her off gently.

"So what is it, then?" Zoe repeated. Inara debated what she should say as she searched Zoe's face. If there was anyone on the ship who she could trust to keep confidence, it was Zoe. Book was a close second, but his avocation sometimes made him feel the necessity to get involved. Zoe was neutral. She closely guarded her own privacy and would probably understand her reluctance to talk. Even so, Inara was still not ready to reveal to anyone the full reason for her departure. She was not sure she ever would be. But she owed Zoe some kind of answer.

"When I first met with Mal about renting the shuttle, he asked me at one point if I was running from something. I told him I wasn't, but that wasn't true. I was running from something. Now it's caught up with me again." Zoe's surprise at that revelation was quickly replaced by a shift to compassion and concern.

"Inara, whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. You've been with us long enough. You've seen what we've gone through. I mean, if we can handle having Simon and River on board, I think we can handle whatever issues you've got as well."

"No," Inara shook her head. "This is something you can't handle. No one on this ship can. Maybe no one in the Verse can. Believe me, I've been trying for years." A dark foreboding settled on her as she thought of what lay ahead. But that had not arrived yet. She was still here, in the now, and that was what she had to deal with. "This is what I have to do, Zoe. It's best for everyone that I leave."

"You're sure about that?" Inara was touched by the genuine sympathy and sadness that played over Zoe's features.

"Yes, I'm sure," Inara affirmed, feeling both better and worse at the same time to know that Zoe really did care. She lowered her eyes to avoid further contact that might upset her currently fragile composure.

"So you're going to join the House here, I take it?" Zoe presumed. Inara nodded. "How soon?"

"Within a few days. The arrangement still needs to be finalized."

"When are you gonna tell the others?" The edge in Zoe's tone indicated she was just as upset as Mal was about her lack of forthcoming. At this point, Inara was all out of excuses. There never was going to be a right way to do it, and there was precious little time left.

"Tonight. At dinner," she announced, arbitrarily choosing the first opportunity that came to mind.

"Okay," Zoe said with some measure of finality. She turned and followed the catwalk toward the forward stairs.

"Zoe," Inara called to her just as she started to climb. Zoe turned, one foot on the first flight. "I know I should have said something sooner. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how you felt," she apologized.

"You been a part of this ship long enough I don't think a one of us would want to see you go," Zoe covered her personal feelings with that general statement, although it didn't make it any less true.

"Yes, I suppose. Thank you again."

"See you at dinner," Zoe offered in parting. Inara remained standing on the catwalk until the woman's footsteps disappeared from her hearing. Then she headed up the stairs herself, making her way towards the captain's room.

* * *

The dining area always transformed into the vibrant heart of _Serenity_ when the entire crew was able to gather for a meal together. These gatherings were infrequent as different watch shifts and sleep schedules usually made it difficult for everyone to be in the same place at one time while they were abroad. But without the usual duties of monitoring the ship, and with an actual sun to signify the cycle of day and night, full crew meals were one of the small treats that being in port allowed everyone to enjoy. This time, though, Inara was taking no pleasure in the joviality. She had delayed her arrival at the table that evening until she was sure everyone was gathered. Her tardiness stemmed from both her reluctance to face what she had to do as well as the desire to make sure she did not have to do it more than once. It was going to be trying enough initially. She doubted she could handle it a second time. As she approached the dining area from the forward stairwell, she heard the familiar liveliness emanating from around the corner.

Tonight, Wash was taking his turn as chef, eager to try out the selection he had just purchased.

"Bon appetit!" Inara heard him exclaim with a flourish as he placed the reheated foil packets in front of each place setting.

"Don't smell no different than usual," Jayne commented with a large whiff. "Don't taste no different, neither," he grumbled through a mouthful after sampling it for several seconds.

"Hmm… needs salt," Mal remarked upon swallowing his first bite. "You'd think that comin' from the ocean that'd be a natural seasoning. Pass the salt, preacher?"

"Regardless of how it tastes, we should all be thankful. For many in the Verse, this would be a gourmet meal," said Book in reply.

"Thank you for our daily serving of guilt, Shepherd," quipped Mal.

"You're welcome. It's nice to know I haven't lost my touch yet," Book returned the jab with pleasant wit.

"You know," Wash reflected through a full mouth, "I might be imagining it, but I think I can taste just a hint of the actual fish. It's very subtle, very delicate, but well executed. Wouldn't want to overpower the blandness with any actual flavor, you know." Zoe chuckled beside him.

"River, you haven't even touched yours yet," Simon said to his sister. "You need to eat at least some of it."

"I'd rather eat snail droppings," River muttered. Jayne snorted loudly.

"Well, we don't have any snail droppings, so this is all you're going to get," Simon's rebuttal came off sounding rather parental.

"It defies classification," River went on in a technical manner. "It has a consistency nearly identical to mucus, yet the cohesion factor is significantly higher, giving it an angle of repose near vertical." After she spoke, there was the clatter of several utensils falling back onto their plates.

"Might wanna keep the revolting scientific analysis to a minimum. Even if it tends to be accurate," Mal told her.

"Hey, anyone mentioned to Inara we were eatin'?" Kaylee asked.

"She'll be down. I talked to her earlier," Zoe said conversationally, betraying nothing.

"Oh, okay," Kaylee nodded.

Taking that as her cue, Inara finally made her entrance.

"There you are. Come try Wash's new fish protein stuff," Kaylee invited, grinning through stuffed cheeks. Inara's eyes flicked between Mal and Zoe before responding.

"No thank you, Kaylee. I'm sure it's delicious, but I'm not very hungry at the moment." She was too distracted to make a good effort at smiling, but fortunately Kaylee did not seem to notice.

"Oh. Did they have some kind of fancy feast for you at the training house?" she asked, clearly fantasizing about the luxurious delicacies the House might be able to provide.

"Not exactly."

"So, how did your visit to the house go today?" Mal half-turned in his chair to face her. His question came across as simple conversation, but she knew his purpose. A bitter seed burned in her chest. He was still trying to push her, even after she had promised to both him and Zoe. It made her want to renege just to spite him, but that would be selfish of her and cruel to the rest of them.

"Yes, how was it?" Book joined in with earnest curiosity. Inara looked away from either of them and found River watching her intently. The look on the girl's face was almost poignant. She dropped her eyes completely, wishing her stomach was not doing flip-flops.

"Actually, I have an announcement to make regarding that." Silverware went down and the conversation subsided, all eyes instantly on her. _Why is this so hard? I never intended on staying here permanently anyway. They all know that. This should not be a surprise for anyone_, she desperately rationalized. It did not help. She took a small breath, readying for the plunge. "After my visit, I… well, um… I've decided that I'm going to stay… at the training House. Here on New Melbourne." Her sudden lack of eloquence was frustrating, but there, she had managed to say it. Her eyes roved anxiously over the faces at the table, waiting for reactions.

"So, you mean to say you're leaving?" Book was the first to speak.

"I… yes," she left it simply at that.

"Inara… why?" Kaylee turned to her, her expression deteriorating into confusion and turmoil. This was the moment Inara dreaded most.

"It's time for me to move on, Kaylee," she gently explained, carefully repeating the words she had rehearsed beforehand. "I've explored the Verse and expanded my client base, which was my goal in coming aboard _Serenity_. After visiting the House, I realized that it was time for me to give something back. Those girls need me. They haven't had the kind of training Companions in the Core get. I can give that to them."

"But I thought you liked it here. I didn't think you'd ever wanna leave," Kaylee beseeched her.

_I don't want to leave_. _But I have to_, Inara countered the admission before it could stall her. "It's not that I don't like being on _Serenity_," she continued. "It's just that this is not permanent for me. It never was. I really will miss all of you. You've all been wonderful to know," she said as her gaze circled the table, though she pointedly did not look at Mal. "I don't think I could have found a better ship than _Serenity_ to take me on this journey. But, now it's coming to an end. It's time for me to start a new one." That part was completely honest, but it did nothing to make her or anyone else feel much better. The cheery atmosphere of the dining area was gone now, and silence reigned for a few long seconds.

"When will you leave?" Kaylee asked, eyes downcast, her voice laden with sadness.

"It will take perhaps a day, maybe two, for the Guild to process my request to join the House. Then it's just a matter of moving from here to there."

"So soon?" Kaylee looked up at her, eyes filling.

"Yes, Kaylee. I'm sorry." More seconds of silence passed.

"I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say you will be missed a great deal," Shepherd Book started. "But when the call to serve others strikes, it is not something we can easily ignore or put aside."

"Thank you, Shepherd," said Inara, guilt stabbing at her beneath her smile.

"Yes, the ship won't be the same without you," Simon seconded.

"We can help you," offered River.

"Yeah," Kaylee latched onto that idea, sniffing back tears. "We could help you get packed and stuff. Then we could have some kind of goin' away party."

"I'm sorry, Kaylee, but you won't be able to help me pack," Inara said, knowing it would be another blow to her friend, but that there was nothing she could do to alter it. "There are rules, and I… I…" She was having trouble making up some plausible excuse against the heart-wrenching look Kaylee was giving her. "But I don't mind if you have a party for me," she quickly shifted tack. "In fact, I'd like that very much."

"Okay," Kaylee snuffed, wiping her eyes, at least half satisfied with doing that much.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. We can certainly do that much for you," Book agreed. Nods of concordance followed around the table, except for Mal and Jayne, neither of whom Inara really expected much sentimentality from. But even without their enthusiasm, she felt the tightness of emotion rising in her throat.

"Thank you. Thank you very much," she said to everyone.

"Of course," Book rose from the table and took her hand. "It will be our privilege. Now, please, sit and eat with us," he led her to a chair. Even though she knew she shouldn't, Inara could not say no at this point.

"Yes, I will." She took a seat between Kaylee and the Shepherd, fighting to keep her eyes from welling up. Someone placed a plate of protein before her and she took a few absent bites. It was as bland as it always was, but she did not even notice the lack of flavor. Eventually some conversation returned, mostly from Kaylee pumping her for information about her visit to the House and what her new life would be like. She answered openly, for the first time in the recent few weeks not worrying about what was going to happen to her or the crew after she was gone. For one more night at least, things still felt mostly the same. She was still a part of _Serenity_, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

_Jin lai_- "Come in"

_ Ji xiang ru yi_- "Good fortune as one wishes."

_ duo xie_- many thanks


	5. Chapter 5

The unique salt-and-seaweed smell of the Odessan air intrigued Mal's nostrils again as he strode down the boulevards of the city's central government district. While most of the time there was no place he would rather be than on _Serenity_, today he was glad to get out of the ship. Kaylee and the others were busy preparing for Inara's farewell party, and that was something he had no interest in being a part of. Although she had at least made her intentions known to the rest of the crew now, Mal could tell Inara still hadn't given the full truth about her reason for leaving. Zoe had revealed to him that there was some sort of trouble in the Companion's past that had caught up with her. If it was true, that did not sit well with him since it meant that Inara had been keeping things from him from the start. When he confronted her about it, they had another futile argument resulting in nothing but bitterness for both of them. If that was how she was going to play it that was up to her, but then she shouldn't be expecting any more respect than what she had shown to him. He would have put the kibosh on the whole party thing if not for Kaylee. She would be devastated. But he was certainly going to be happier when this was all over.

Turning his thoughts from one sore topic to another, so far unloading the Lassiter had been a bust. No one on this planet was willing to touch such a hot item from someone they didn't know. He wasn't having much luck finding any type of decent-paying job, either. After a morning of fruitless rendezvous with the leads Zoe and Wash had tracked down, he had whittled away the list to his last and least favored option. He crossed the broad cobbled street, curving past a city garden and towards the imposing limestone edifice that was the destination of his next meeting. Odessa's Hall of Justice had all the earmarks expected of a structure with that name. It was designed in an ancient classical style to give it the appropriate air of intimidating authority. It had tall windows, a façade resplendent with columns, and twin statues of half-naked lawgivers sitting regally in their thrones and dispensing swift justice from the roof. Mal smiled wryly as he reflected on how ironic it was that real justice was all too frequently like those statues- cold, blind, and self-righteous.

"I ain't too comfortable with this, Mal. Just so as you know," Jayne advised him, trailing just a little behind.

"Jayne, that's the fourth time you've said that. How many more times you plannin' on tellin' me?"

"Just makin' sure you're aware is all," Jayne replied, defensive.

"Look, you volunteered to come along."

"Yeah, but that's only 'cause I didn't want to do no work for the party. If I'd a known I'd be comin' here, I might've stayed and hung party streamers or somethin' instead."

"It ain't like I'm thrilled either," Mal concurred, "but this could be a high-payin' job. And seeing as nothing else has panned out for us..."

"What if they just throw us in the lock-up?"

"Why?" Mal demanded, turning to his mercenary. "What have we done?"

"Nothin', far as I know. But that's about all judges are good for. Throwin' people in the lock-up."

"We ain't gonna get thrown in jail, Jayne. This is strictly speculative. We meet with the contact, and if it don't add up, we leave, simple as that."

"What if it's one o' them sting operations? They trick folk like us with the promise of a job, then arrest us for attemptin' to commit some crime. That'd be downright low." The paranoid part of Mal's brain had briefly considered that notion, but the rational side won out. There was no reason to suspect that this was not a completely legitimate job opportunity. Unfortunately, Jayne's constant suspicions were starting to wear on that rationality.

"Jayne, why don't you give your brain a rest 'fore you have a stroke from overexertin' it." Jayne scowled but he shut his mouth. He followed Mal through the column-flanked main entrance, glancing warily about and generally looking suspicious.

Despite the exterior styling, the atrium of the Hall sported thoroughly modern amenities, starting with the armed guard and security scanner. Mal had expected as much and made sure they left all their weaponry behind. He passed through the scanner without issue, but when Jayne stepped into the machine it, blared an alarm. The lackadaisical-looking security guard immediately became alert, his hand going to his sidearm.

"Stay right there," he ordered Jayne while searching his eyes over the scanner monitors. Jayne complied, giving Mal a bewildered and worried look. "What have you got in your pants?" the guard demanded.

"Huh?" Jayne uttered in a befuddled grunt.

"Your pants. What's in them?" the guard repeated.

_Gorram it!_ Mal cursed inside. Leave it to Jayne to forget some piece of deadly or other stashed in his underwear.

"I ain't got nothin'," Jayne complained.

"Okay. Turn around. Spread your legs and put your hands up against the scanner," instructed the guard.

"Now hold on a second…"

"Turn around," the guard commanded, not sounding like he was to be trifled with. His hand went to his weapon again. Mal tensed, several different scenarios playing out at once in his head, none of them pretty. He shot an encouraging glare at Jayne, who, although scowling, reluctantly obeyed the guard. Stepping into the enclosure, the guard quickly but expertly patted Jayne's pockets and frisked up and down his trouser legs, paying particular attention to his crotch. "All right, go on through," he waved when he didn't find anything, although he seemed almost disappointed. Jayne joined Mal on the other side of the security station and the guard resumed his seat with languorous enthusiasm, although not without one more suspicious glare cast their way.

"Wasn't plannin' on havin' a man grabbin' all over my private parts, either," Jayne grumbled sourly. Mal just rolled his eyes released the tension he had been holding with a sigh.

From the security station, they made their way to what appeared to be an information desk, given its location in the dead center of the main hallway.

"_Kak mogu ja pomogite vam_?" the secretary behind the desk greeted them unintelligibly.

"Um… hello?" Mal answered with a blank look. The secretary huffed irritably.

"What can I do for you?" she asked in heavy-accented English.

"Yeah, can you tell me where the office of Judge Andreyev is?"

"Third floor. Up the stairs, make a right, another right at the first hallway, and it is the second door on the left," the woman recited in a wearisome tone.

"Much obliged," Mal flashed his most ingratiating smile. The secretary sighed in a much suffering way and rolled her eyes in dismissal. Mal took small pleasure in that. Irritating somebody else always made him feel better when he was irritated. He and Jayne turned from the desk and trotted up the three flights of stairs. Upon reaching the third floor, they maneuvered their way through the hallways as instructed. The proper door was easy enough to spot when they encountered it since it sported a large nameplate embossed in three languages- English, Chinese, and the local gibberish that was a mix of backward English letters and symbols that made no sense. Mal opened the door, and, typical of a government bureaucracy, was met with another secretary. This one was younger and much prettier than the information matron downstairs. She had lovely, pale skin and her azure eyes struck him for a second. Her dark hair was bound into a bun at the back of her head, accentuating her slender neck.

"_Dobroe utro_," she said with a smile that faded as she caught Jayne leering at her from over Mal's shoulder.

"We're here to meet with the judge," Mal said without waiting for a translation. "Name's Malcolm Reynolds. I believe he's expecting us."

"One moment, please, Mr. Reynolds," she replied primly and ducked into an inner chamber her desk protected. She spoke something to the person inside and then waved Mal and Jayne in. "Please come in, Mr. Reynolds." Mal nodded politely as he passed, though Jayne continued leering. Her wary gaze raked over them both equally before she closed the door behind them.

The inner office was well-appointed, if not extraordinarily large. A massive wooden desk covered with files and a Cortex interface took up most of the space, and fine wood paneling graced the walls. A window to the left looked out over the garden and cobbled street they had just walked across, and on the right a bookshelf was weighted by dense volumes with even denser titles on their spines.

"Welcome," a man seated behind the desk greeted him and Jayne. In middle age with sandy hair and a full beard that was just starting to gray at the edges, both his smile and manner were warm, although Mal saw that dwindle slightly as the man's eyes moved from himself to Jayne. Mal had to suppress a grin. That was why he liked Jayne. The mercenary could sometimes do his job without doing anything at all.

"I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds," Mal stepped forward for an introduction, but stopped short of offering a hand. "This here's Jayne," he thumbed to his right. Jayne folded his muscular arms and stared down at the man.

"Josef Andreyev," the man rose from his seat. "So, you are interested in delivering my cargo?" His English sounded natural, with hardly a trace of the accent Mal had heard in everyone else.

"That'd be our purpose in comin' here," Mal confirmed. He did not intend to be rude to a possible employer, but he was not interested in making small talk. He wanted to know if this man was serious about hiring him or not. Judge Andreyev nodded in understanding, taking Mal's point without offense.

"Of course. What kind of ship do you have, Captain?"

"Firefly-class. Aught-three. She's a good, solid ship. And Persephone's familiar ground for us. Do enough business there."

"Are you from there?"

"Not to speak of."

"Mmm-hmm," Josef nodded. "I'll be frank with you, Captain Reynolds. What you would be transporting is the most valuable thing in the Verse to me. I need to know you are trustworthy, as well as be assured that you will arrive safely at Persephone."

"All my crew are honest folk. You'll have my personal guarantee no harm will come to your goods."

"Yes, I believe a man is a good as his word. But first you must know the man's word is good. Is there anyone who can attest to your guarantee, Captain?" Mal had never been asked that question before. Most people he dealt with knew him by reputation, and that was usually enough. Fortunately, one reference sprang immediately to mind.

"Sir Warrick Harrow of Persephone. We've done some work for him in the past. I'm sure he can bear witness to our virtues." In fact, they had only done the one job for Harrow, but the man had been impressed by Mal's character and steadfastness, and had offered to provide a good recommendation if ever should the occasion arise. Apparently getting stabbed in the stomach had its long-term benefits. The judge's eyebrows rose a little upon hearing the title of nobility, and perhaps so did his esteem for Mal.

"Of course, as a local magistrate, it was not difficult to have your criminal record pulled," the judge switched subjects. "Malcolm Reynolds," he read off his Cortex screen. "Bound by law five times for smuggling and tariff dodging. Most likely some petty theft in there as well. No convictions, though," the judge smiled at him, although there was a definite edge to it. Mal's palms broke into a sweat. This was starting to go about as bad as he had feared it would. He heard Jayne shuffling uncomfortably behind him.

"Well, if you ain't interested in our services, sir, we'll gladly take our leave," he started to back towards the door as he spoke.

"Not so fast, Captain," the judge stopped him. "I'm not naive. I have some inkling of how difficult freelance transport can be. I don't doubt that almost any captain who walked through that door to inquire about this job would have some sort of color on his or her record. That is a trade-off I've accepted by going this route. But I do need to assure the safety of my cargo. That's why I asked for references rather than writing you off upon seeing your file." He walked from behind his desk. Mal waited in silence, caught between the urge to leave and his desperate need to score a paying gig. "You do seem like a decent person, Captain. If your recommendation from Sir Harrow is legitimate, I will have one more requirement before I decide to hire you. I would like to see your ship and meet your crew. Would that be a problem?"

"Not at all," Mal answered, keeping his tone even.

"Later this evening, then. Perhaps around seven, you would be able to give me a tour?"

"I'd be thrilled," Mal put on a mock smile.

"Excellent."

"Docking bay 28-E. I'll be waitin' for you."

"Very good, Captain," the judge jotted down the slip number on a piece of paper on his desk. "I will see you at seven. Thank you for coming." He extended his hand.

"It was a pleasure," Mal shook it firmly. The judge led them to the door and let them out. Jayne and Mal left the outer office under the watchful eyes of the pretty young secretary.

"Pompous _hun dan_," Jayne expressed his distaste for the man by spitting in a corner of the hall as he and Mal retraced their steps through the building. "Sittin' there behind his desk, actin' all… judgmental."

"He's a judge, Jayne. That's what they do," Mal said, although he couldn't disagree with Jayne's assessment.

"Still, I never liked judges. Not a one of 'em ever did nothin' for me. How do you know he still ain't tryin' to trick us?" Mal had to admit to himself that he really didn't know that for sure. On the other hand, the judge struck him as genuinely interested in hiring them. The insinuated threat regarding his background was meant to test him, see if he would balk. He guessed had the judge really been concerned about his criminal history, he never would have gotten past the initial inquiry. "What're we supposed to do with them two 'fugees when he shows up?" Jayne raised another good point.

"He won't go no further than the cargo hold," Mal assured. "That's all that concerns him. He may think he knows a little bit about runnin' a transport operation, but he don't know anything about ships. He'll have a quick look around and either give his stamp of approval or not. The doc and his sis just gotta stay quiet in their rooms for a few minutes. No big deal."

"Yeah, so you say," Jayne muttered, dubious. Mal shared some similar doubts, but so far the meeting had played out better than anticipated, given initial appearances. In other circumstances, shipping personal cargo for a government official was the last job he would have considered, but with the financial straits they were in and the amount of money offered, he could not rightly pass it up. Zoe would probably have a few choice words for him on his state of mind when he told her. He was sure she hadn't honestly believed he would follow up on this lead. But she knew as well as him that beggars couldn't be choosers, and if they went much longer without any income they'd all be eating scraps. However, the last thing they wanted to give the judge was the impression that they were desperate. If this was going to happen, he needed his crew in prime condition to close the deal. He led Jayne down the several flights of stairs and beat a hasty path out of the Hall of Justice. There was work to be done.

* * *

The judge arrived at _Serenity_'s slip promptly at seven, and Mal was waiting for him at the end of the loading ramp. Party planning had been temporarily halted while everyone was conscripted into cleaning, straightening, and organizing the hold to make the best impression possible. Now they were all lined up like school children, wearing their best… well, least dirty clothes and brandishing polished smiles. After a brief handshake, Mal introduced the judge to Zoe first, who was waiting beside him. Zoe shook the man's hand and beamed generously, as Mal had advised her to be as charming as possible.

"Of course, sir. You know 'charming' is my middle name," she had answered with false enthusiasm, followed by one of those frigid looks that she normally reserved for when her husband crossed her. Mal figured it was safer not to comment on that, and he was glad their relationship never extended beyond the fraternity of the battlefield.

"Come on aboard," Mal walked the judge up into the cargo hold with Zoe shadowing them. "This here's my crew. Wash, pilot. Kaylee, mechanic. You already met Jayne. This is Shepherd Book."

"Very pleased to meet you, your Honor," Book grasped the judge's hand in a double-fisted handshake.

"Please, just call me Josef. I'm outside of my official duties right now. Do you minister to the crew here? I've never heard of a small transport enlisting their own Shepherd."

"Occasionally," Book smiled. "But I'm more of a passenger. A traveling missionary of a sort."

"The Shepherd is from the Southdown Abbey on Persephone as well," Mal inserted casually.

"Is that so?" Josef asked.

"Yes, sir. Been travelin' around the Verse aboard _Serenity_ for just over a year now," Book confirmed, and Mal could see Josef's esteem of the ship increasing another notch.

"Thank you, Shepherd," Mal nodded to Book with pointed look, his purpose served.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, sir."

"Yes, you as well," Josef responded. That part of the tour successfully concluded, Mal nodded to Zoe.

"Crew dismissed," she called out formally, dispersing the crew members to their other duties while Mal steered the judge farther into the cargo hold. "As you can see, she's got plenty of space," he motioned around the bay. "Got tie-downs to secure whatever bits o' valuable we'll be haulin' for you."

"Do you ever take on passengers?" Josef inquired.

"Haven't recently," Mal said, finding the question odd and a little irrelevant. "We've got a few spare dorms, but I don't anticipate takin' any fares while we're haulin' your stuff, so not to worry there. Won't be no strangers about," he explained, surmising that was the crux of the judge's concern. "If you're worried about room, though, I s'ppose I could fit some extra cargo in 'em."

"Oh, I think this will be plenty of room," Josef stated. He wandered back towards the commons, peering through the doorway. "I see you have a good-sized infirmary. Do you have a doctor on board?" That inquiry ignited Mal's consternation, and he had to fight back against the automatic suspicion it triggered. The judge's questions were probably just mere curiosity. He had seen to it himself that there was nothing to indicate to anyone that there might be two fugitives hiding on board. River and Simon were sequestered in Simon's room, and Book had also been instructed to go sit with them after the crew introductions just in case River decided to act up, even though she had been somewhat more stable since Simon put her on the meds. Mal was probably just being paranoid out of habit, but there was no sense in courting more risk by letting the judge snoop around any further than necessary.

"No, no doctor," he lied, steering Josef back towards the center of the hold. "So, how much cargo are we talkin'…"

"Mal!" Mal words were drowned out by the shout which rained down from the catwalk. Both he and Josef looked up at the same time. Inara appeared over the railing, looking flustered and quite upset. Her flashing eyes bore down on him. "Mal, what have you done with my spare trunk? If you've taken anything out of my shuttle…" she started to berate him, but she choked off her accusation when she suddenly realized there was a guest present. "Oh, I beg your pardon. I didn't know we were expecting company," her eyes blazed at Mal one more time, although her fury was swiftly concealed by a polite smile.

"You didn't tell me you had a registered Companion on board," declared Josef, eyes on the woman hovering above him.

"Um, yeah, well… I guess it just didn't come up," Mal honestly excused with a seething glare at Inara. In his mind she was already gone, so he had not thought it pertinent to mention to her that he was giving the judge a tour. Besides, she had spent the whole time since her announcement last evening cooped up in her shuttle doing God knows what in preparation for her departure, so he assumed she would not want to be bothered by any of his petty dealings. Hell, she was too proud to even let anyone help her pack. But, of course, she would pick this exact moment to come bursting out shouting at him, jeopardizing the whole deal. He swore to himself that if she ruined it, he was going to make her pay him for that lost income, and keep her deposit on top of it. On the other hand, the judge was obviously intrigued by her. Maybe he could work this to his advantage. After all, she had intruded on his business, and she wouldn't risk embarrassing herself in front of such an important person. "Let me introduce you," he offered to Josef. "Inara, I'd like you to meet Judge Josef Andreyev. Judge, this is our resident Companion, Inara Serra."

"Your Honor," Inara beamed. "How very nice to meet you." She descended the steps from the catwalk, unable to refuse the introduction without losing face, just as Mal predicted. Even as angry as he was with her, he had to acknowledge that it was impressive how seamlessly she transitioned into her most gracious and hospitable manner.

"Please call me Josef. Certainly the pleasure is all mine," Josef grinned. He took Inara's hand as she reached the bay floor and bowed over it in gentlemanly fashion. "I must say, Captain, your ship is full of surprises. I don't believe I've ever heard of a private transport traveling with both a Shepherd and a Companion. May I ask where you were trained?" he returned his attention to Inara.

"House Madrassa, on Sihnon."

"Really?" Josef uttered, clearly finding her credentials impressive. "You're a long way from home in that case. What brought you out to the Border?"

"Oh, I had the opportunity to travel with _Serenity _and expand my business. It made good sense. She really is a wonderful ship, and so is the crew. Captain Reynolds is a very reasonable man." She flicked her eyes at Mal quickly enough that Josef was unaware of the jab.

"Well, I'm certainly glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Miss Serra. I see you are in the middle of something, so I will excuse myself," Josef smiled knowingly, and a faint hint of pink crept into Inara's cheeks. "Have a pleasant evening."

"And you, too," she dazzled him with another smile and he bent over her hand again. Then she escaped up the stairs and disappeared into her shuttle again.

"If you had told me you had a registered Companion traveling with you, Captain, this tour would have been unnecessary," Josef turned to Mal. "A woman as respectable as that would never travel on something second-rate. I believe I am more than satisfied by what I've seen of your ship and crew."

"Shiny," Mal replied with an internal sigh of relief. "So, let's talk…"

"Payment," Josef finished.

"That about sums it up."

"I gather that credits won't do someone like you much good. You probably don't do enough business in those kinds of areas to bother with keeping an account open," the judge assessed, though it wasn't clear if that was meant to be a slight or not. "I have no problem paying you in platinum or scrip, whichever your prefer, but before we get to that, I'd like to discuss my cargo."

"Got some special requirements?" Mal ventured a guess.

"Yes, something like that. Actually, my request for services was a little misleading. As I said, what you would be transporting is very valuable to me, but it's not cargo, it's passengers."

"_Shu mu_?" Mal blinked.

"I apologize for not being upfront, Captain, but I know that not all vessels who take passengers are what they claim to be. I wanted to make sure I was able to evaluate you and your operation objectively before I discussed the particulars. I hope that doesn't alter your interest in taking the job."

"Well, it surely does," Mal replied after staring at the man for a second. "You advertised for cargo, not passengers. Those are two completely different things."

"Not so much," Josef disagreed. "You would still be paid for ensuring their safe arrival on Persephone, just as you would for cargo."

"Yeah, except cargo ain't gonna go wanderin' around where it shouldn't and get itself hurt. Not to mention the extra toll on our consumables. That's an expense to me," Mal's voice sharpened, although he was trying to remember that this was a man who wielded significant legal authority and it would not be wise to start yelling at him. Judge or no, though, he couldn't believe Josef would expect him to just say yes after completely changing the terms of the deal.

"I can appreciate that and am fully willing to pay you more, if that will make up for it. Twenty platinum apiece for two passengers. That's forty on top of the fifty I advertised," Josef proposed. "That should be plenty to account for the cost of providing room and board." Mal's growing ire was quickly tempered when he heard those figures. Taking passengers hadn't been a consideration since Simon and River came on board, but that was a hefty premium for just two people, and not something he could so cavalierly walk away from. Given the luck, or lack of it, that he had experienced with every other venture thus far, it was almost worth the risk.

"Who are these passengers?" he asked.

"They're my children, ages twenty and seventeen. And as I said, they are the most valuable things in the Verse to me."

"Why are they goin' to Persephone?"

"That's not really important," the judge started to say, but Mal raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Look, no offense, Judge, but I gotta know the details if you want me to consider the job, even if you think they're not particularly important."

"Fine," Josef answered, realizing that he had painted himself into a corner with his earlier deception. "They're athletes. They're going to Persephone to train and compete in their sport. That's it."

"So why not send them there on one of the major passenger liners? It'd be faster and a hell of a lot more comfortable."

"I have some… concerns regarding security," he replied vaguely. His eyes shifted away slightly, betraying something more than what he was saying.

"Like what?" Mal pressed. Josef frowned, his reluctance to elaborate obvious.

"Let me put it this way, Captain. As a magistrate, I have inevitably made a few groups of people quite unhappy with me over the years. There have been occasional threats on my life and the lives of my family. Some have been worrisome enough that I don't dare take chances now. Through my station, I can provide for my family's security while they are here, but not once they are off world. If I sent my children through the usual passenger routes, it might present an opportunity for retaliation against me too tempting to pass up. And I don't have the money to hire a private security detail to guard them all the way to Persephone and thereafter. I needed a ship I can trust, that I know will not be influenced or infiltrated by anyone locally who might want to do me harm."

While clearing things up a bit, that explanation didn't make Mal feel any more inclined to accept the new conditions. The very last thing he needed was to be carrying two children of a government official who were going to be targets in some local crime lord's plot for revenge. That was trouble he could do without. However, he could not do without some sort of revenue for much longer. Why were things never that simple?

"Give me a minute, Judge," he excused himself and strode quickly over to Zoe who had been hanging back from their discussion.

"Somethin' the matter, sir?" she asked while he led her to a spot in the hold distant enough to be out of the judge's earshot. Jayne, who had been meandering around the hold trying to look busy, scooted over to join them as well.

"_Gorram_ it!" Mal hissed. "He wants us to take his children to Persephone."

"What? What about the cargo?" asked Zoe.

"That is his 'cargo.' He's afraid some of the syndicates might be holdin' grudges against him. If they get wind of what he was up to, they might try to _yi si liao zhi_ on his kids."

"No way," Zoe shook her head immediately. "We don't want to get involved in that." Mal's instinct toward self-preservation couldn't agree more, but his empty pockets made a strong argument to the contrary. Zoe seemed to sense his ambivalence. "Sir, you're not seriously considering taking him up on it?" she questioned.

"He's offerin' ninety platinum."

_"Bu jing zhi tan."_ Jayne uttered. "His kids could ride my bare-naked ass through space wherever they want for that much."

"Shut up, Jayne," Zoe disregarded him. "What about Simon and River? What happens if they get found out by them?"

"They ain't gonna be any better off if we don't find work," Mal argued back. "Nothin' has panned out with the Lassiter or any of the other jobs so far. Things keep goin' that way and we'll be left here with no income. We can't afford to pass this one up."

"We can't afford to take passengers, either. They're the children of a _judge_," she reminded him sharply. "As in someone who punishes people for breakin' the law. Like people who harbor known fugitives. Remind you of anyone?" Mal glared at her unappreciatively.

"We've hid the Doc and River before."

"That was for a few hours. You plan on havin' them hang on to the outside of the ship for a few weeks?" Zoe demanded.

"I don't know yet, but I'll think of somethin'."

"Why not just lock 'em up in the shuttle?" Jayne suggested. "Inara's gonna be gone, so we'll have another one free if we need it." Mal stared at his mercenary for a second, surprised to hear something logical coming from Jayne's mouth. That in itself was a little scary, but he couldn't deny the appeal of the idea. It would be less likely that the doctor and his sister would be accidentally discovered if they stayed in a shuttle. It might not be the most comfortable situation for them, but neither would going without food for a few weeks. "C'mon, Mal. You're a ruttin' _sha gua_ if you don't take this one," Jayne urged further. Zoe shook her head in adamant opposition. Mal debated it in his mind for a moment, but it was no contest. If they didn't make some money soon they wouldn't be able to do anything for Simon and River anyway, and they'd all be humped. He couldn't believe he was about to take Jayne's advice over Zoe's, but he reckoned there was a first time for everything.

"We'll do what Jayne said," he made his decision. "Keep the Tams in the shuttle for the duration. That oughta limit their chances of bein' found out." Zoe huffed through her nose, her temper flaring dangerously. She glowered at him. "Look, it ain't the best situation," he tried to placate her, "but we don't got a choice. We don't take this job, there might well not be another. We're on the raggedy edge here. I'll take my chances with the kids and the sure-fire coin rather than waitin' for a better opportunity that might never come along," he said as he turned and walked back towards Josef. "All right, Judge," he announced. "You just bought yourself two tickets to Persephone. And I'm gonna need the fare up front."

"I can give you half up front and arrange for half when you arrive at Persephone." Well, the man was no fool, Mal had to at least give him that.

"It's a long trip. I'm gonna need almost that much just to fuel up and buy extra supplies. I'll take seventy five percent down, the other twenty-five when we get there" he haggled.

"How about sixty-five percent?" Josef counter-offered.

"That's cuttin' it close," Mal mused, "but I s'pose it'll do." He would have rather had more just for peace of mind, but he didn't want to push the judge too much, either.

"Very well. My children already have events scheduled on Persephone, so the sooner they arrive, the better. When will you be leaving?"

"Whenever they're ready to depart, we will be," Mal said.

"Would tomorrow be too soon?" Josef proposed. Technically Inara would not be packed and ready to go until the day after, but waiting until she was ready meant waiting one more day to receive the second half of his payment. He might just have to drop her and her things at the House and go. She would not be happy about that, but she was not his concern anymore. Besides, she had frequently complained to him about the importance of keeping to a schedule. Well now it was time to get a taste of her own medicine.

"Tomorrow's shiny," Mal agreed.

"Perfect. I will meet you tomorrow morning at nine." He and Mal shook hands on the deal. "Have a good night, Captain." Mal escorted him to the loading ramp and watched him disappear into the twilight before retracting the ramp for the night. They had a job, and a good-paying one to boot. That was a load off his mind. That much coin would keep them flying for a fair piece even after this little jaunt was done.

"Zoe, let everyone know we got a job. Then get Simon and River down here so they can more their things over into Shuttle Two. We lift off for Persephone tomorrow as soon we're prepped."

"Tomorrow? What about…"

"I'll deal with Inara. You just get the Tams. _Dong ma?_"

"Yes, sir," Zoe clipped rigidly and marched up the stairs towards the dining area. She was still fuming, but Mal reckoned she would come around once she got a taste of that precious metal in her hands. He followed after her in short order, turning across the catwalk and making his way to the vacant shuttle instead. He flung open the door and looked around inside. The utilitarian interior was somewhat grimy, and there was no place to sit besides the jump seats, but with some spiffing up it could be made habitable.

"Captain, are you trying to get us caught?" Simon accused him, storming down the stairs and across the catwalk towards the shuttle. River and a still scowling Zoe followed him closely.

"You come at me like that again, Doctor, you'll be more than welcome to sleep in the airlock," Mal warned. "This is my ship. I tell you how it is, not the other way around."

"They're the children of a magistrate!" Simon repeated Zoe's concern with more forcefulness.

"He's only a local. No connection to the Feds. And before you get your pretty little britches in any more of a bind, I just made enough on this deal to keep us fed and flyin' for the next month. So, I don't wanna hear any complainin'."

"It's more than three weeks to Persephone. We can't stay in here for that long. It's filthy and there's no place to sleep," Simon decried the condition of the shuttle.

"Well you can't stay in your room once our passengers get here."

"We might as well sleep in the cargo bay," Simon snapped.

"You don't wanna be on this ship anymore, Doc, that's fine by me," Mal rounded on him, rapidly losing patience with the Simon's attitude. "You and your sister are more'n welcome to take your chances on your own if you like, but I think you'll find the accommodations even less welcoming out there." He held Simon with a hard look for a few seconds. The doctor met it, simmering, but he did not say anything more. "As for the furnishings," Mal continued, "it's a little sparse, but we'll bring up some chairs from the commons. I know I got a spare bedroll lyin' around here somewhere as well. Hell, maybe Inara'll even donate some of her things. I doubt she's gonna need it all at the House. Now hurry up and get moved in. There's plenty of work to be done 'fore we head out." He brushed past Simon and the other two on his way out, pointedly ending the discussion.

Striding across the catwalk again, Mal headed for the other shuttle this time. It was time to pay Inara one last visit. Ascending the stairs to the airlock, he considered the notion of asking her to leave some of her things for Simon and River. Not that he was particularly concerned about the Tams' comfort. However, he didn't think she would be keen on that idea after he told her she had to be out by tomorrow. He paused just before knocking, for the first time really reflecting on the fact that she was not going to be part of _Serenity_ anymore. He didn't know how he felt about that. Should he even feel anything at all? Apparently she wasn't all that perturbed by it, given her behavior. And, after all, it was just business. Theirs was concluded now, and it was time to move on. That was all there was to it. _Yeah, that's all it is_, he told himself. _Just business as usual_.

* * *

_ shu mu_- excuse me

_ yi si liao zhi_- to even a score through death

_ bu jing zhi tan_- cock-and-bull story; bullshit

_ sha gua_- idiot, blockhead


	6. Chapter 6

The clock was just rounding into the first of the wee hours of the morning when the crew was finally able to gather for Inara's farewell party. Getting the ship prepared for departure the next day had taken the remainder of the evening and everybody was feeling the weariness, but Kaylee refused to abandon the idea despite the late hour. River had managed to construct a large paper sign that said "Good Luck!" in elaborate Chinese characters, but other than that there was not very much in terms of festive accoutrements. Meanwhile, Kaylee and Book frantically tried to concoct something interesting to eat from their meager variety of foodstuffs. They used the preacher's spices to turn the fish protein paste into a passable casserole. At the very least, it smelled better than the original ingredients.

"Here you are," Book dished the first serving of the experimental casserole to the guest of honor.

"Thank you, Shepherd. It certainly smells delicious."

"Yeah, it sure does," Wash concurred, craning his head from his seat to try and see what it looked like.

"You and Kaylee workin' some magic in that kitchen, preacher?" Zoe joked.

"Nothing but blood, sweat, and tears," returned Book, moving around the table with the serving bowl.

"Well hurry it up there," Jayne pushed. "I wanna see what it tastes like."

"Don't be greedy, Jayne," Kaylee admonished. "And don't eat it all, neither. We gotta save some for the new passengers."

"What the hell for? It's not like they care about Inara leavin'." Kaylee just shook her head and maneuvered closer to Inara, zooming her capture in on the Companion as she ate.

"Kaylee, are you ever going to put that capture down?" Inara asked with playful exasperation.

"We gotta have records of everything, Inara," Kaylee replied. "A bona fide Companion entertained clients on this very ship. Besides, I want to make sure we got somethin' to remember you by." The mechanic continued filming, but behind the device Inara could see her eyes filling with sadness as the reality settled in on her again. "Honest, Inara, why do you have to leave?" she asked plaintively. Inara swallowed another bite, trying to push the regret that was rising in her throat down with it.

"Like I said, Kaylee, it's time for me to move on to a new path. And I don't think the Captain approves of me anymore," she added.

"The Cap'n wants you stay as much as…"

"That man doesn't know what he wants," Inara interrupted. Kaylee grimaced a little at the sharpness of her remark, and Inara had to turn away for a moment. Even though this marked the end of her relationship with _Serenity_, it was still supposed to be a celebration. She did not want her bitterness towards the captain to intrude upon it. Mal was the only one not present at the table, and for that she was somewhat glad. Had he been there, she might not have been able to hold her temper. For the crew's sake she could not begrudge him for taking this most recent job, but she was certain that his forcing her off the ship early because of it was just a flimsy excuse to antagonize her more. Although he had always been difficult for her to figure out, she thought she had seen some real complexity and decency on occasion hiding beneath that mask of callousness. Now, though, it seemed she had only imagined it. Apparently he really was just that petty.

Book came around to her place again, this time with the jug of Kaylee's homemade wine. He offered her some, but she politely declined, so he passed on, filling the others' cups before taking the jug back into the galley.

"No wine for you, preacher, even on a special occasion like this?" Jayne turned to ask him.

"Part of the discipline of being a Shepherd means forsaking some of the worldly pleasures for more spiritual ones," Book answered.

"Aw, just sounds like God don't want you to have fun," Jayne surmised with a grin and a swig of his drink. Book only smiled as he went filled his cup with water from the galley tap. When he returned to the table, he stood at his seat and called for everyone's attention.

"I would like to propose a toast. To Inara." Book turned to her. "You've been a wonderful companion… I mean, in the sense of a friend, to everyone on this ship. You are kind, caring, and were always looking out for us when you didn't have to. You could have stayed in your shuttle and kept to yourself, but instead you chose to make yourself a part of this… special family, that we have here. It is always sad to when a family member leaves, but occasionally it must happen. However, just because you are no longer on this ship doesn't mean you aren't still a part of it. We will miss you, though we wish you the best of luck. If God wills that our paths should ever cross again in the future, you will always be welcome here. It has been a true pleasure to know such a _xian zhu_ woman. To Inara," Book raised his glass, and the others joined in. Inara glanced around and saw their expressions reflecting the sentiment in the Shepherd's words. She lowered her eyes and her bronze skin flushed.

"Thank you," was all she could manage when she looked up, her vision just a little blurry. "Thank you so much."

Even though darkness was scooting fast towards dawn, the celebration continued on well after the meal was finished. With bellies full and lips relaxed by the wine, friends took turns exchanging stories and memories, filling the dining area with laughter and banter. Although she didn't participate in the storytelling, even River became somewhat engaged in the merriment, listening and laughing once in a while with the others. True to her vow, Inara never spoke of any situation involving her clients when it was her turn to tell a story, but she figured it would do no harm to regale the others with some tales of her time as a novitiate and apprentice in the House. There were no lurid details in them, much to Jayne's disappointment, just funny or embarrassing moments.

"And so that's how I learned how to shoot," she wrapped up the anecdote of how she first learned to handle a firearm.

"Wow, I didn't know they taught Companions all that stuff," Kaylee laughed at the end of it.

"Yes. And I thought it was such a waste of time back then. I mean, when was a Companion ever going to have to shoot anyone? Who knew it might actually come in handy."

"I guess the Verse is full of strange coincidences," Simon commented.

"All right, I got one," Wash said, eager to go next. "This happened back when I was in flight school. You won't believe what goes on there."

"I imagine there'd be a lot of flyin'," Zoe grinned at her husband.

"Ha ha," Wash mocked. "You want me to tell the story or not?"

"Oh, by all means, dear. Go ahead."

"Okay, so this one time…" Wash leaned on the table and started setting up his yarn while Inara reclined in her seat, appreciating the moment to rest her voice. She listened attentively at first to Wash's tale, but she gradually started to lose focus. Perhaps she was simply getting too tired to pay attention any longer, but rather than fight it, she embraced it. Letting her senses go a little hazy allowed her to move beyond the purely sensual interaction and submerge herself in the energy of the gathering. These were people who cared for her, and she for them. Whatever trials and tribulations they faced ahead, their faces, the sounds of their laughter, the warmth and happiness of their friendship, she did not ever want to forget that. Even though she was dubious as to how much the captain would support Book's standing invitation to visit, she sincerely hoped that if fortune graced her in the coming weeks and months, just maybe she would one day find her way back to _Serenity_ again.

* * *

Mal was the first one awake the next morning, his alarm rousing him at 0800. The silence about the ship led him to suspect that the rest of his crew was most likely still sleeping off last night's festivities. He was tired as well, having been up almost as late double-checking their preparations for today, but once he had finished with that he had gone straight to his bunk before Kaylee or anyone else could wrangle him into attending the party. He could think of no reason why he should be there and plenty reasons why he shouldn't, so he closed his hatch, took a few shots of his personal stock of liquor, and passed out on his bed. If he wanted to, he could have whistled everyone up to be ready for lift off as soon as his fares were on board, but on occasion he actually enjoyed the solitude of being the only one about the ship. Not that he didn't care for the company of his crew. It was just sometimes it was nice to be alone with _Serenity_ for a while. It gave him time to clear his head. And since there was no pressing need for everyone to welcome aboard their passengers, it was no skin off his teeth to let them get a couple extra hours rest before they started the trek to Persephone.

Climbing out of his bunk and working his suspenders up over his shoulders at the same time, he ran through his mental to-do list for today. Once the judge arrived with his coin, he needed to go out and purchase more foodstuffs to supply them for the journey. Then there was the ship to fuel and any other miscellaneous tidbits to attend to that he would probably conjure along the way. And, of course, there was Inara. He expected this might be a difficult day for some of them, especially Kaylee, but there was nothing he could do to soften it. He laid the blame for that squarely at the Companion's feet. She had taken to keeping her decision secret until the last minute, and then decided to scamper off within days of making the announcement. In any case, he just wanted to be done with it without making a big deal. Then they could get on their way and start a new chapter without her.

There was plenty of time before the judge would arrive, so Mal made his way to the galley to brew a leisurely cup of tea. The entire area was still a mess from last night, which, although irritating, wasn't a surprise. He scrounged up a cup that didn't look too dirty, filled the kettle, and set it on to boil. While he waited, his eyes drifted to the large banner still hanging on the wall. He had seen River laboring over it and had to concede that it was really quite a piece of work. He had been surprised to see her get involved in the party at all, let alone volunteering to make the banner. She had no particular affinity towards Inara that he had observed, but perhaps it was a sign of improvement in her mental state. The meds the Doc had her on appeared to be doing their job as the violent mood swings and tantrums had not occurred for some weeks now. Plus, she had shown tremendous capability for rational behavior during that ordeal with the bounty hunter. Still, she was not quite normal, and the mysteries surrounding her had not been resolved to his satisfaction. The question of her true talents still played on his mind. If she was what he suspected, it explained the Alliance's intense interest in her. It also made him sure they would do anything to get her back, which was an issue he knew he would have to face eventually. He needed to look into the matter further, but in the meantime the prospect intrigued him. Maybe she could be of some use on a job sometime.

When the kettle reached peak temperature, he poured the steaming liquid into his cup. He let the leaves steep while he meandered down to the cargo bay and popped open the door. The salt air rushed in, laden with moisture at this early hour. He stood in the doorway like a master surveying his domain, which, in truth, is exactly what he was. A ship was a captain's estate. It was just more mobile than most, and he liked it that way. Glancing to either side as he took a sip of the nearly scalding brew, he noticed many of the slips around _Serenity_ were empty. That was unusual. On major transfer points like New Melbourne, docks were busy places. When one ship left, there was almost always another waiting to take its place. The roar of atmospheric drives at liftoff drew his attention upward and he watched a midbulk transport accelerate gradually into the sky. In the space of the next five minutes, he counted six ships disembarking. That was nothing out of the ordinary, but the lack of new arrivals was. That trend continued for several more minutes until, by the time he had drained his cup, more than a dozen ships had left with none making a landing. Curious now, though not yet concerned, he wandered purposefully back inside, leaving his empty cup in the galley as he passed through. Hustling up to the bridge, he took the helm and started powering up some systems, beginning with the short range radar. It took a minute or two to warm up, but when the returns came back on the screen, Mal counted fifteen specs making for orbit. He dialed in the official port frequency and scanned the radio chatter. Several more ships were asking a flustered-sounding controller for clearance to depart, though not a single landing request came through. He flicked a glance at the clock on the console. Ten minutes before the judge was supposed to arrive. _So why the hell is everyone leavin'?_ Maybe it was just the Odessan air, but his gut was starting to tell him something was fishy.

"Zoe, Wash," he flipped on the com and called down to their quarters. He heard nothing but a faint groan at first. "Hey! Wake up!" he hollered louder.

"Mal? What… what time is it?" Wash's sleepy mumbling was almost incoherent.

"Get yourselves awake and get dressed. I need you both up."

"Somethin' wrong, sir?" Zoe asked, her voice also tired, but already tinged with some sharpness.

"Can't say for certain. But get on up to the bridge."

"Unngh!" Wash's groan came through the speaker before he cut off the com.

"What's the situation?" Zoe strode up behind him a minute or two later, still pulling her hair back into its clasp.

"Some kind of mass exodus. Ships leavin' left and right, but not a one callin' for clearance to land. Port controller sounds like he's bound to have a fit."

"Any notion why?"

"No. But our passengers should be here in a few. Meantime, try to find out what's up. I got a feelin' if everyone else is leavin' perhaps we should be, too."

"Yes sir." Zoe switched places with him. He headed down the stairs, passing a bleary-eyed Wash just emerging from his bunk, his gaudy floral shirt still unbuttoned.

"Mal, what the hell's goin' on?" his pilot asked.

"Not sure. That's what you and your wife are gonna find out for me. Go help her. I gotta go wait for our delivery," he said as he breezed past and bounded down the forward stairs for the hold.

The knot in Mal's stomach only grew as he waited on the ramp, arms folded and lips compressed. Ships continued to vacate the docks left and right. A clock somewhere in town struck the hour. It was nine o'clock, and the judge was still nowhere in sight. After five more minutes of increasingly agonizing waiting, he called up to the bridge for an update.

"What's the word?"

"Nothin' yet, sir," Zoe answered. "Port's too busy to answer requests for an explanation, and Wash says there's some kind of interference on the Cortex. He can't log on."

"Interference? That don't make sense."

"It's not interference," Wash's voice came through the com. "It's a jam."

"A what?"

"A jam. Too many users trying to log on to the same node. It can't handle the number of requests so it's denying anyone else from logging in."

"That means everyone is on the Cortex for some reason. Wash, keep tryin'. You gotta find out what's up."

"Yeah, Captain. I'm workin' on it." By quarter past the hour, and with no sign of the expected arrival, Mal was seriously considering packing up ship and lifting off. If it were not for their desperate need of the money, he would not have given the idea a second thought. Ships did not flee a hub like New Melbourne en masse for no reason. There had to be a very good reason, one he hoped to discover before it found him and not the other way around. The roar of a different type reached his ears, and he recognized it at first as the sound of a ship on approach. But an instant later a more visceral recognition slammed into him. He knew the sound of those engines from a very specific time and place. Memory involuntarily washed over him with the noise…

_Dawn was still an hour or more away, but in the gradually weakening darkness he could begin to see the barren valley spread out below the rocky outcrop where he was hiding. It was littered with the glowing embers of dead fires from which he could just make out the outlines of bodies. The stench of their decay was already starting to overwhelm the odor of burnt flesh and blood that lingered everywhere. He had been sheltering underneath some scrub, scanning the valley floor for movement and planning his next move when the rumble of those engines drew his eyes upward_...

Just as then, his eyes now went inexorably to the sky. _Please let me be wrong. _ His heart jumped into his throat as the descending vessel came into view. Paralyzed, he watched it settle towards the docks, just as he had watched it glide down over that valley years ago. Then the paralysis was broken and adrenaline kicked him into motion. Without a further thought for the tardy judge or his children, he ran inside and hit the control panel to seal up the cargo bay.

"Zoe!" he yelled into the com mic.

"I see it, sir," Zoe answered, the distance in her voice telling him she knew exactly what it was as well.

"I'm sealin' her up. Tell Wash to get us off this _gorram_ world now!" He did not wait for an affirmative but just threw down the mic and darted for the bridge. Taking the stairs two at a time, he felt the railings shudder and heard the rising whine of _Serenity_'s jets coming to life. The whine increased in pitch, faltered, and then descended again. Something was wrong. "Wash!" he yelled, nearly running into the table in the dining area in his haste. "Wash, why the hell ain't we lifted off yet!?" He reached the bridge in time to hear Wash cursing as he reset the switches for the start-up sequence.

"_Gorram_ stupid piece of…"

"Wash, get us airborne, or so help me…"

"We're landlocked!" Wash exclaimed, interrupting Mal's threat.

"What?"

"We're landlocked. I can't even start her up."

"Well override it," Mal ordered.

"You can't override a landlock, Mal! That's the point."

"Call port. Get 'em to release it," he handed the radio mic to his pilot. Wash snatched it with an angry huff and clicked open the channel.

"Odessa port, this is transport _Serenity_ requesting release of landlock and clearance for departure, copy?" The radio crackled with static. "Odessa port, this is _Serenity_, docking slip 28-E, copy?" Still there was no response. Wash threw up his hands. "They aren't answering, Mal," he turned to the captain.

"Zoe, you see where that troop transport landed?"

"Somewhere at the other end of the docks."

_"Zao gao!_" Mal pounded the back of the copilot's chair where she was seated.

"Sir, maybe we should wake the others." The fear in Zoe's voice was well-controlled, as it always was, but it was still there.

"Attention all ships," the radio all of a sudden blared to life with an authoritative voice. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Achebe of the Twenty-first Infantry battalion. By the authority of the Constitution of the Union of Allied Planets and Parliamentary Declaration 1125, this port is designated as under full military jurisdiction for the duration of the Federal emergency declared by Parliament on the ninth of May, 2518. This airspace is now restricted. Port authority has turned over control of all activities to my command, and any ships attempting to land or depart without authorization will be interdicted. All vessels currently in port are hereby impressed into the service of the government as needed until the emergency declaration is lifted. All captains are ordered to prepare their ships for boarding and inspection by Federal authorities. This channel will be used to disseminate further information as it becomes necessary." Zoe, Mal, and Wash exchanged looks of shock while the radio crackled dead with static once again. Zoe broke the stunned silence first as her gaze drifted out the viewports.

"Sir…" she made no attempt to hide the alarm in her voice as she stared out the window.

"Oh no…" Wash's voice sunk.

"Son of a bitch," Mal whispered. Then he was gone from the bridge.

* * *

"Inara!"

Inara awoke with a start, none too pleased by the commotion at her door and the man causing it. She had not slept well after the party, and she was not at all in the mood to deal with the captain's outrageous attitude of late. She lay silently in her bed, hoping he would just go away if she ignored him. Hadn't she endured enough from him already? She had already agreed to leave today rather than tomorrow, despite having to rush to get her things into some semblance of order. She couldn't believe that after springing that on her yesterday he would even have the nerve to come banging on her door at this unholy hour, probably intending to blame her for some further inconvenience. Ever since she had told him she was leaving, he had simply refused to behave civilly towards her. She had made honest efforts to bend to his requests, including some of the less reasonable ones, in hopes of making peace with him, but apparently that wasn't enough. It was like he was purposely trying to make her last few days as difficult as possible. Either that or he wanted to make her hate him. So far he was succeeding at both.

"Inara!" Mal yelled, hammering on the airlock some more. "Inara, open up!" The pounding did not stop and she threw back her covers in one furious motion. Deliberately taking her time, she slid a robe on over her satin undergarments before walking to the door.

"Well, Captain, have you changed your mind and decided to evict me instead?" she called through the metal portal. "After last night, I wouldn't put it past you anymore."

"Inara, I ain't got time for this! Open the door!"

"Why? Do you have the local authorities out there with you? Are you going to have me arrested for squatting? Honestly, Mal, I can't believe how low you've sunk. I thought you were a decent person most of the time, but now it seems you're showing your true colors."

"An entire battalion of Fed troops just landed, and in about five minutes they're gonna be crawlin' all over this ship! Now unless you want to be responsible for Simon and River gettin' hauled off in handcuffs, open the _gorram_ door now!" The sheer absurdity of that excuse caused Inara's temper to surge. Did he take her for an idiot, too?

"Inara, please let us in," she heard Simon plead from the other side of the airlock, and instantly all her anger and indignation faltered into confusion. Was Mal being serious? After a brief hesitance, she unlocked the shuttle door and pulled it open. She stepped aside as River and Simon bolted in, followed by the captain.

"Mal, what's going on?" she demanded. "The Alliance is here?"

"Yeah," Mal confirmed. "We're landlocked. They took over the whole port. Somethin' about an emergency. They're gonna be inspectin' all the ships."

"That doesn't make sense," she said, because it was the only thing she could think to say in response to such an outlandish scenario.

"Tell me about it," Mal agreed. "Somethin' big is goin' down. I ain't been able to find out what since the Cortex is offline. But Simon and River gotta stay here 'till this blows over."

"But, I was… I mean, I can't… they can't," Inara stammered.

"What? Look, they gotta hide somewhere where the Alliance won't find 'em," Mal explained, agitated. "I figured maybe you can keep 'em out. I mean, ain't there some sort of Guild law or somethin' about a Companion's privacy and all?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"But what?" Mal faced her squarely, his patience strained to the breaking point by her unexplained reluctance. "You we're plannin' on leavin' today, so you'd just as soon turn your back on them? Is that it?"

"No…" Inara fumbled for words.

"Then what?" he barked, his voice taut with suppressed fury. Inara turned and looked over her shoulder at the pair of siblings sitting on her bed. River cowered in her brother's arms, both of them looking very frightened and vulnerable. Mal was right, it was too dangerous for them to hide anywhere else on the ship, but her shuttle was not a sanctuary any longer. If they stayed with her they would face an entirely different danger, one they weren't even aware of. She felt an intense wave of guilt for not being honest about her circumstances from the start, but it would have made little difference now. She didn't have much choice, and neither did they. If she was careful, they _might_ be safe with her. Their odds without her help were far longer.

"Okay. I'll hide them." A chunk of tension visibly disappeared off of Mal's shoulders when she agreed, although she could see in the set of his jaw that he was still harboring some resentment over her initial resistance. She swallowed and turned away, thinking it was better he felt that way rather than knowing the reason behind her unwillingness.

"Keep quiet," Mal shifted his attention to Simon and River. "Don't make no noise. That door stays locked. Don't any of you leave," he included Inara in that remark. "You need anything, you get me or Zoe," he told her. "I'll send someone up with their stuff as soon as I can."

"River's meds," Simon added. "I'll need those, too." Inara looked from the doctor to his sister, her slight frame trembling a little. If the girl lost her senses and started pitching a fit, and she did not look like she had far go at the moment, there was no way they would stay hidden for long. Mal must have understood that too, because he instructed the doctor to write down what he needed. Inara dug out a piece of parchment and a pen from her calligraphy set and handed them to Simon. He scrawled a list and passed it to Mal. Mal took it, and with one last look at each of them, he ducked out of the shuttle. Inara sealed the door behind him.

* * *

Outside the shuttle airlock, Mal read over Simon's list briefly whilst trying to steady his nerves and push his outrage at Inara's behavior out of his mind. He could not believe that she would actually contemplate leaving Simon and River to hang out there for the Alliance to snatch up. Had she forsaken all the loyalty and friendship she'd built just because she was leaving? He couldn't fathom what was going on in her mind to make her refuse to help, but he was damn sure going to find out eventually. There would be time enough to deal with that later, though. Right now he had to concentrate on making it through this crisis first. He set out for the infirmary but hadn't gone more than a few steps when Wash's voice called him over the loudspeaker.

"Captain, got a wave for you up here." Mal thrust the list into his pocket and reversed directions.

"Who is it?" he asked as he ascended the stairs to the bridge.

"Looks like it's your judge," Wash said, swinging aside so Mal could see the screen.

"Is that muted?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Here, Zoe," he pulled the list out of his pocket. "This is what the Doc needs for River. Get it to him."

"Where are they?" she asked.

"Inara's shuttle. It's the only place I could think of. After that, I want you and Book to take all their stuff up to Inara's. Then clean out their rooms and the other shuttle," he continued instructing. "Make it look like no one's ever been there."

"Yes sir," Zoe acknowledged and departed from the bridge. Mal took her seat at the copilot's station and brought the waiting wave up on his screen.

"Judge," he greeted as pleasantly as he could manage.

"Captain Reynolds. I'm very sorry I didn't make it this morning, but when I arrived at the gate, I was told the port was closed."

"Yeah, there does seem to be a bit of a hubbub goin' on," Mal tried to restrain the bitterness in his words. This was just another log to add to his smoldering fire of hatred towards the Alliance. First they were going to stick their filthy paws all over his ship, and now they were going to cheat him out of the best job he'd had in weeks.

"That's quite the understatement. What do you know about it?" Josef queried.

"All I've heard is a radio message from some Alliance brass. Somethin' about declaring a Federal emergency and preparin' all ships for inspection. Troop transport set down about the time you were supposed to show up, and now I'd say there's a couple hundred ground pounders millin' about outside. Cortex is down, so that's all I've been able to find out." He saw the judge's eyes widen at the mention of the troops.

"This is a bit fantastic. I'm trying to find out what's going on, but so far my information is as sketchy as yours. I did see an Alliance ship land right after I was turned away, but I did not know about the troops. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome, but it looks like we won't be takin' your kids to Persephone anytime soon. We're landlocked as of right now."

"That's actually what I wanted to discuss with you. I'm not ready to back out of our deal yet. I still want you to take them, that is, if you still want the job. I won't hold it against you if you decline. However, they are supposed to be on Persephone within a month's time, and I would never find another ship I could trust with all this going on now."

"Well, I ain't one to back out of a deal either, but I don't see how that'll happen."

"I have some influence in my position, and I might be able to work out an arrangement to get them through to you." Mal considered in silence. He was doubtful the judge was quite that influential, but ninety platinum was a hell of a lot better than zero. Besides, with the disruption in general commerce the port closure was bound to cause, there was no way another job this lucrative was just going to fall into his lap.

"You get through, we'll be ready to take 'em for you, Judge."

"You're a good man, Captain Reynolds."

"I think that's the first time an officer of the law has ever called me a good man," Mal managed to smile.

"Maybe it won't be the last," Josef smiled back. "I'll be in touch with you, Captain." The wave transmission blipped out into a blank screen.

"You still wanna take on passengers with all this goin' on?" Wash asked from the helm.

"I ain't one to say no to the man's cash if he's wily enough to get through."

"Won't that make more trouble for us, though?"

"Can't see how it would. They're just two kids."

"Yeah, but consider what happened the last time we took on two kids," Wash remarked, to which Mal had to acknowledge his point. This was completely different, though. He knew what he was getting into this time around.

"Wake Kaylee and Jayne up," he told Wash as he jerked out of his seat. "I want everyone bright-eyed and looking like the upstandin' citizens we are when those Feds get here. Hopefully by the time they're finished muckin' about, the Judge'll have gotten his little judglings here and we can get off this _dian dao wu lun_ rock," he finished sourly.

"Aye, sir," Wash affirmed. Mal stomped down the stairs, envisioning the narrow margin he was now walking.

_It never fails_, he thought. Someone always seemed to have it out for him. Readying his mettle, he set off down the hall to face what was certain to be a most harrowing day.

* * *

Inara moved about her shuttle with almost aimless agitation. She wished she had something to keep her occupied and not thinking about the danger they were all in, but there was literally nothing left to do. Most of her things were packed, thanks to Mal wanting her out today. The shuttle already felt like a foreign place. Her acres of silk draping, all her decorations, and most of her wardrobe were carefully tucked away in the shipping crates stacked at the rear of small ship. All that remained was the furniture. Right now the bed was occupied by the Tams and their belongings, which Zoe and Book had brought up. She was surprised at how little personal possessions they had. Simon had a small suitcase and his medkit, but River's belongings amounted to only an armful of clothes. Most of those were donated items and cast-offs primarily of Kaylee's. She remembered that the girl had come to them, literally, with nothing. And Simon had given up practically everything to bring her here. It was an acute reminder of how fortunate she was in her status, and she reminded herself never again to complain about how inconvenient it was to have so many items to move.

She observed brother and sister for a moment. River appeared calmer now. Simon had administered her medication, though Inara noticed her eyes occasionally flicking apprehensively in one direction or other around the shuttle. Simon sat behind her with a brush he had gotten from somewhere and had taken to brushing the tangles out of River's long hair. It was an extraordinarily tender gesture, and evidence of just how much he loved and looked after his sister.

"Ow!" River cried for the third time as Simon got the bristles caught in a knot.

"Sorry," he hissed an apology. Inara found herself smiling weakly. At least his intentions were admirable, and it did seem to smooth over the sharpest edges of River's agitation. Nevertheless, she could still see the tightness in the muscles of River's back while she hunched forward to allow Simon to stroke the brush through her hair. She might have been calm, but she was far from relaxed.

"So, what do you think is going on out there?" Simon asked, although Inara didn't think it was the best topic of conversation to dwell on. On the other hand, what else was there to speak about?

"I really don't have a clue," she answered honestly. "I don't think it has anything to do with you, though," she said, guessing what might be on Simon's mind. "Mal said something about an emergency. As much as the Alliance might want you, I don't think they would close an entire port." Simon gave a grim smile, showing he was not so certain.

"I'm sorry to be such a burden, especially since you're supposed to be leaving." Simon's Core-bred manners dictated that he apologize out of politeness, but there was real earnestness there. He knew they were at the mercy of their benefactors on _Serenity_, and how improbably fortunate they were to have come aboard her out of all the ships in the Verse.

"Simon, don't be sorry. It's hardly your fault."

"I know. But I still appreciate your help." Inara forced a smile, grateful that he apparently had been too distracted to notice her brief argument with Mal when he brought them in.

"Have faith in Mal," she turned the conversation away from herself. "He'll see you through this. He always has before."

"It's been a while since I've had much faith in anything," Simon rejoined. Inara gave him an empathetic smile. River's head suddenly jerked beneath her brother's hands. Her eyes locked on the door just a split second before the light rap came. Heart racing just a bit, Inara crossed to the airlock.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Zoe." Inara cracked the door just enough to be sure.

"What is it?"

"They're here. Keep 'em quiet," she jerked her chin to Simon and River beyond. "Whatever you do, don't let the Feds come in." Inara nodded and closed the door. The game was set now. She was fairly certain her play would work, but there were no guarantees with the Alliance. Still, she had been trained for this. She took a practiced breath. Turning around, she met directly with River's gaze.

"Checkmate," the girl said.

* * *

_Serenity_'s crew was assembled in the cargo bay, her captain waiting with folded arms atop the loading ramp. The scuffle of many booted feet crossing the concrete echoed nearer and nearer in the large chamber. A muscle flexed in Mal's jaw, the sound igniting many more unpleasant thoughts and memories. Finally the progenitors of the noise appeared at the bottom of the ramp: a squad of Fed regulars with a lone officer in charge. After calling a halt to his company, the officer's eyes remained on his handheld screen for a moment, looking over the display.

"_Serenity_. Registered to Malcolm Reynolds." The officer looked up into the ship, eyes alighting on Mal.

"I'm Captain Reynolds."

"Captain, I'm Lieutenant Jorgenson. These men are here to help me inspect your ship."

"I know why you're here," Mal coldly advised the lieutenant. Jorgenson ignored the barb and strode inside, reading over his handheld once again.

"It seems you have a bit of a record, Captain." He looked up from his screen with a faintly arrogant grin. "I'll make sure my men are extra careful in their search."

"No need. We ain't got nothin' at the moment. Your hijack of the port delayed our latest customer from arrivin' on time."

"My apologies for the inconvenience," the lieutenant stated without sincerity. "Your papers?" Mal put a hand over his shoulder and Zoe passed him the leather-bound folder, which he handed to the lieutenant. Jorgenson flipped through it briefly. "This is your crew?" he indicated to the gathering. Mal looked at them and then back at the lieutenant without a word. "I'll need to verify their identities. Please step forward and have your ident cards ready," the lieutenant addressed them. He nodded to a soldier with a card reader who came to stand beside him. Mal handed over his card first and the soldier swiped it through. "Malcolm Reynolds, Captain," Jorgenson compared the name on his screen with the roster in the papers. "Zoe Washburne, First Mate," he called next. Zoe came forward and handed her card over, a deadly cold fire in her stare at the officer. Jorgenson swiped her card and went on, taking no notice of her expression. Wash and Kaylee passed their cards over in turn without fuss. "Jayne Cobb," Jorgenson read out after them. He looked up when no one came forward. "Where is Ms. Cobb?" he asked to the assembly at large. After no one responded again, he looked to Mal, who just jerked his chin towards Jayne. Jayne folded his arms obstinately and glared at the officer. He did not move. "_Mr_. Cobb?" Jorgenson asked, his inflection on the title unmistakably demeaning. "Where is your card, Mr. Cobb?" Jayne said nothing. Mal threw a displeased look at his mercenary, not wanting Jayne's defiance to get them into an imbroglio with the Feds.

"I it a while back," Jayne finally spat.

"Scan him," Jorgenson ordered indifferently. The soldier with the card reader produced a small cylindrical tool and walked up to Jayne. Jayne stared him down, but the soldier did not flinch.

"Look here," he raised the tool to Jayne's face. Jayne made no move to comply, so the soldier simply pointed the tool at his eyes. A laser beam flashed out of the end directly into Jayne's pupils. The soldier's reader beeped and he glanced down. "Retinal scan confirms, sir," he told the lieutenant while Jayne shook his head and blinked in temporary blindness.

"I don't see his position on the ship listed, Captain," Jorgenson said to Mal.

"He's a jack of all trades," Mal said simply.

"No doubt," Jorgenson replied with considerable skepticism, but he moved on. "Shepherd Derrial Book, passenger."

"Right here, sir," Book came forward, the only one so far showing any proactive cooperation.

"Thank you," Jorgenson made a point to say to him.

"All right. Let's get the rest of this over with," Mal said with a wearisome note. He started to head into the cargo bay, anticipating the inspection was about to begin.

"Hold on, Captain," Jorgenson stopped him. "Your roster lists a registered Companion on board as well. Inara Serra. Where is she?" Mal turned, arms still folded in a fixed gesture of annoyance.

"She's up in her shuttle. She don't much like bein' disturbed," he made the justification for Inara's absence. It was a weak attempt, but there was always a chance it might work.

"Well I'm afraid we'll have to," Jorgenson didn't bite. "This is an official inspection, and everyone on board has to be accounted for."

"Suit yourself," Mal shrugged as careless as he could, but his adrenal glands shot into overdrive. It was all on Inara's shoulders now. If she couldn't find some excuse to turn Jorgenson away, they were all humped ten ways to hell.

"The rest of you will have to wait outside during the remainder of the inspection," Jorgenson instructed the _Serenity_'s crew. Heads turned to the captain, and he gave a curt nod of approval. Zoe led them to the end of the ramp, her defiant eyes on the soldiers waiting there.

"Let's go, Captain. You four, come with us," Jorgenson motioned for a few of his soldiers to join them. Mal led them up the catwalk stairs and to the shuttle bay's outer portal. He knocked solidly on the airlock.

"Inara," he called, only vaguely hearing the sound of his own voice. _Gorram it, I hope she's ready_.

"Yes?" Inara yelled back, somehow sounding even more annoyed than she had earlier this morning. He had to rein in the impulsive urge to snap something in response. His nearly automatic reaction gave him pause, but now was not the time to be contemplating the dynamics of their relationship.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" he enjoined, making sure to moderate his tone into a polite request.

"Very well," she huffed audibly and her footsteps paced toward the airlock from the other side. She flung the door open before her with well-practiced irritation. "I hope you have a good explanation for this Captain…" started to say but then cut herself off, pretending to be surprised at the sight of the Alliance soldiers standing there with him.

"These gentlemen would like a word with you," Mal said in his most deferential manner. Inara scowled at him with a disturbing amount of loathing, shifting her glare to the officer beside him after a second.

"Miss Serra, I'm Lieutenant Jorgenson," the officer introduced himself with extreme courtesy. "I hope I'm not intruding…"

"You most certainly are, Lieutenant," Inara retorted before he could finish, raking her eyes up and down him once. "Captain, what is the meaning of this?" she returned to Mal, immediately dismissing the lieutenant as insignificant and undeserving of any further consideration.

"I'm sorry, Miss Serra," Jorgenson went on, trying to establish his authority. "Captain Reynolds is simply complying with my orders. The Alliance is conducting inspections of all ships in port at this time."

"Oh, so you're the reason we've been delayed," she said with renewed disdain. "If I am late for any of my appointments, Lieutenant, be sure the Alliance will hear about it from me." A slight flush crept up the back of Jorgenson's neck.

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience," he smiled with some effort, but it was evident he was not used to this kind of abrasive treatment. "We will be as quick as possible. However, we must inspect every part of the ship, and that includes this shuttle. May we come in?"

"Absolutely not!" Inara exclaimed in furious indignation. She looked at the officer as if he had just slapped her.

"Miss Serra, I don't believe you understand…" a bit of condescension crept into Jorgenson's voice before Inara sliced into him.

"No, Lieutenant. I don't believe _you_ understand. This shuttle is my personal sanctum. It is a consecrated place which only my clients or invited guests may enter. I will certainly not allow you and your men to desecrate it with your frivolous inspection."

"The Alliance has the authority to enter any compartment of a ship during an inspection, with or without permission," Jorgenson stated, having lost much of his original courtesy by now.

"Lieutenant, clearly you are woefully undereducated about your own rules and regulations," Inara countered with scathing condescension. "According to the agreement between the Alliance and the Guild, a Companion in good standing has every right to refuse anyone, Alliance personnel included, access to her sanctified space unless presented with a warrant of search. And since you are glaringly ignorant of that aspect of the law, I'm quite confident you did not have the foresight to procure such a warrant. Not that you would have any probable cause with which to do so. So, if you insist on conducting your inspection over my objections, I will immediately be filing an official grievance against you with the Guild. A Guild solicitor will be here within an hour, and then you can explain to your superiors just how your incompetence was an excuse for this violation of my rights. If you are lucky, they may only take the compensation due to me out of your commission."

Jorgenson's confidence and authority rapidly melted into a puddle of insecurity under the assault of Inara's diatribe. He really was unaware of the rules regarding the Guild. Mal didn't know if all of what Inara said was true, but she damn well made him believe it, and so did the lieutenant. Jorgenson stood there beleaguered as a whipped pup who had foolishly attempted to take on the master of the kennel. It was hilarious to watch the poor _hun dan _try to decide which way he wanted his career to end, by official reprimand for failing to follow orders, or by getting sued within a millimeter of his life by the Guild. Mal held his lips tightly together in a blank expression, but he was trying his damnedest not to laugh. Inara recognized it and threw another glare at him, an honest one this time. This was a delicate situation, and she did not want him screwing it up by bursting into hysterics. He turned away a little, placing a hand over his mouth and clearing his throat rather forcefully.

"Ah, well, Miss Serra… um, I suppose we should continue on with our inspection, then," Jorgenson rather awkwardly tried to cover his uncertainty to little avail. "I'm sorry we disturbed you." Inara fixed him with another disdainful gaze that had all the qualities of a full military dressing-down and he could not hold eye contact with her.

"Captain," she addressed Mal. "I have to prepare for my appointments later today. I expect to be left in peace for the duration of this _chou ju_."

"Yes, ma'am," Mal responded, but he could not keep the small twist of a smile off his lips. Inara slammed the door in their faces. "Well," Mal turned to the lieutenant and his men. "Shall we continue?" Jorgenson threw Mal a furious look and thrust past him, his men following. Mal trailed behind, grinning. He could not remember the last time he had been so entertained.

* * *

_xian zhu_- remarkable

z_ao gao_- damn

_dian dao wu lun_- completely crazy

_chou ju_- farce


End file.
